


Strings

by RWBY_Trash



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossdressing, F/F, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Misogyny, Misogyny, No V3 drama, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2019-06-30 00:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15740463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RWBY_Trash/pseuds/RWBY_Trash
Summary: "5-year-old Weiss had been confused when she was told she would be Jacquez’s son. It didn’t make sense to her but, as she’d done with everything else concerning her father, she never questioned it and bent at his will. Everything that was even remotely female was stripped away from her as soon as physically possible and from that moment, Weiss Schnee was to be the heir to the Schnee Dust company. Raised to fit her father’s image in every aspect, down to the smallest of details. She was ‘perfect’."





	1. Perfect Child

It all started when her sister was born.

 

Living in the Schnee mansion for her entire life, Weiss was no stranger to yelling and violence. The strained casual interactions dragged on during the day, and as the sun set, hushed arguing could be heard if she were to listen closely. However, she wouldn’t need to try for long, as the arguing would escalate and the shouts would echo through the cold, empty hallways. Weiss would try to ignore their voices, but her poor little heart would jump as she could hear expensive items being thrown, and smacks piercing the air. She’d fall into a fitful slumber and in the morning, her mother would be sitting in the living room with a glass of wine, sipping it down as if it would carry her far, far away from there. And in a way, it did. 

 

Jacques Schnee was not discreet about what was troubling him. As he would yell at her heavily inebriated mother, his words would sting at her, as if they had been aimed directly at her. 

 

“Such a useless woman!” he’d snap, “Bringing me nothing but more pathetic girls! Three children, and not a single son!”

 

Willow Schnee had long since given up on reasoning with her husband about it. He would stay resentful no matter what she said. Her body was no longer capable of bearing any more children, so she couldn’t dissuade him with promises to try again. It seemed that Jacquez was left with no other options. 

 

Well, no ethical options, at least. 

 

5-year-old Weiss had been confused when she was told she would be Jacquez’s son. It didn’t make sense to her but, as she’d done with everything else concerning her father, she never questioned it and bent at his will. Everything that was even remotely female was stripped away from her as soon as physically possible and from that moment, Weiss Schnee was to be the heir to the Schnee Dust company. Raised to fit her father’s image in every aspect, down to the smallest of details. She was ‘perfect’.

 

Her sister hadn’t escaped such treatment either. Whitley had been subjected to the same treatment as Weiss. A last resort if for some reason, things wouldn’t work out with his second oldest child. He was a man who wasn’t a fan of not getting his way, and made sure that he’d get what he wanted, no matter what. 

 

His influence tugged at her, like the strings on a puppet, with him as the puppeteer. She was a pawn, someone to fulfill his legacy the way he wanted. Nearly every shred of individuality had been stripped from her and he had complete control. But she never fought it. His strings seemed to dig impossibly deep into her conscious and refused to let go.

 

* * *

 

 

Weiss couldn’t stop jittering, growing restless in her seat. She was currently thousands of miles away from that godforsaken mansion, and growing closer and closer to freedom! In all honesty, she had been surprised that her father had agreed to let her go to Beacon Academy, though she suspected that he’d only done so to reinforce her masculine image. It made sense seeing as she’d likely spend a lot of time hacking and slashing at beowolves and such. 

 

She shook away those thoughts from her mind. Right now, her father didn’t matter. She let a content smile spread across her face as the school came into view. It was time. 

 

“You have arrived, Mister Schnee,” a butler informed her, holding her possessions.

 

Weiss nodded, standing from her seat. Exiting the airship, she smiled up at the large building, walking with her held up high. Nothing could possibly ruin her mood now.

 

...Well, nothing, except for maybe some dolt collapsing into several suitcases full of her expensive, sensitive dust.

 

“What are you doing!?” she exclaimed in her practiced voice. It came naturally to her now, and she was thankful for that as she wasn’t prepared for such a situation, especially just after arriving.

 

“Uh, sorry,” the young girl groaned, sitting up and raising a hand to her aching head. 

 

“Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?” she scolded, a harsh icy glare crossing her face. Such behavior wasn’t acceptable from a woman! Weiss could barely believe that they would even allow such a dunce into such a prestigious academy. 

 

“Uhh,” the red-clad girl seemed to be at a loss of what to do, picking up one of the white suitcases in a feeble attempt to help. 

 

“Give me that!” Snatching the dust away, she opened the suitcase to make sure the vials were intact. Luckily, nothing broke. “This is Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!”  She couldn’t help but be annoyed when the incompetent girl only gave out another nervous ‘uhhh’. “What are you, brain dead?  _ Dust! _ Fire, water, lightning, energy!”

 

“I-I know,” she stuttered, coughing a bit. 

 

Rolling her eyes, she continued to grill into the younger girl until finally, she sneezed. An explosion of elements was set off, causing a series of loud noises to erupt. After the haze cleared up, she immediately checked to make sure her outfit was intact. Luckily, her vest and pants were fine, aside from a few marks she’d have to get cleaned. “Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!”

 

Despite her apologizing profusely, Weiss disregarded her words, instead pointing out how young she was. It was obvious that someone like her didn’t belong at this academy. She was half convinced the girl didn’t even understand where she was. “This isn’t your ordinary combat school. It’s not just sparring and practice, you know! We’re here to fight  _ monsters _ so… watch where you’re going, little girl!”

 

“Hey, I said I was sorry, ‘prince’!”

 

“Heir, actually,” a third voice cut in. Weiss turned to see a girl with long, wavy, raven hair and a book in her hand. “Weiss Schnee, heir to the Schnee Dust company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world.”

 

“Finally, some recognition!” she smirked. 

 

“The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners,” the girl continued. Her face fell.

 

Not dignifying her claims with a response, she stormed off, already irritated. She ignored the younger girl’s claim to make it up to her as she sincerely doubted she’d be able to come close to doing such a thing.

 

To think, 10 minutes before, she’d been so optimistic. She could only hope that it wouldn’t get any worse.

 

* * *

 

Things progressively got worse after that. The dolt she’d run into upon first arriving turned out to not only be her partner but her leader, for the duration of her time at this academy. Her pride was wounded as that was announced. Her entire predicament, The clothes she wore, the rather uncomfortable binder that was underneath, her practiced deep voice, all of it was for the sake of being a leader. Maybe not for this specific position, but it still hurt that this young, naive, _girl_ of all people was the one leading her team. She felt as if all the effort that she put in would never be good enough. Perhaps it’s because she lacked the real equipment. She wasn’t really a man. She could try with all her might, but deep down she knew that it was just an act. 

 

However, that was the most important thing. She just needed to at least look the part. Her everyday wear consisted of a red button-up shirt underneath a white vest, with matching white pants. She had plenty of similar clothes with her, and they were all made of the finest materials, probably costing more than everything her roommates owned. Despite how expensive and ‘perfect’ they were, she felt very uncomfortable in every single outfit. Like it was suffocating her, serving as a constant reminder that her father still had an iron grip on her from hundreds of miles away. Yet she put them on and didn’t dare complain, because it was essential for her to be at the top. Things  _ had _ to be this way. 

 

However, despite being angry and frustrated that all of the work she’d done was for nothing, a conversation with Professor Port had made her reconsider her approach.    
  
“Professor Port!” She’d called out after noticing him, heading towards the mustached man.

 

“Ah, Mister Schnee! And to what do I owe the fine pleasure?” Port asked enthusiastically. 

 

“I… I enjoyed your lecture!” 

 

Port smirked. “Of course you did, son! You have the blood of a true hunter in you!” She tried not to flinch at his wording. She’s used to people talking to her like that, but at that moment, it really stung. 

 

“You really think so?” She asked, looking away. 

 

“Of course!” He paused, noticing how troubled she looked. “Hmm, it appears that something’s troubling you?”

 

“Yes, sir…” She admitted.

 

“Young man, confess to me your strife!” He insisted, his wording not helping her in the least bit. 

 

“Well… I-I think I should have been the leader of team RWBY!”

 

“That’s preposterous!” 

 

Her blood began to boil. “Excuse me?!”

 

“I’ve believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man’s never once led me astray!” 

 

“So you would just blindly accept his decision after seeing how exceptional of a man I am!?”   
  
“With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched by your poor attitude! And, quite frankly, I’m absolutely baffled by your bias against the opposite sex!” 

 

“B-bias against the opposite sex?!” She stuttered. What did he mean by that? 

 

“It would seem that you feel you deserve the position due to being a ‘strong, capable  _ man _ ’. Even in class, I’ve seen you stress your masculinity very often. When your leader wanted to give you support, you shrugged her off, as you claimed not to need a girl’s help.” He pointed out. Weiss’ brain was processing this. Women were weak and didn’t know as well as men. This is something that she had been told several times in the past. It’s why she has to put on a binder and lower her voice every day. She couldn’t be seen as inferior when she takes over her father’s company, she had to be a man. That’s just how things were. 

 

So how come Professor Port seemed to think differently?

 

“Listen, young man. Anyone can fit a roll regardless of gender. It’s about skill and, even more than that, personality. Your character is what will determine your fate in life, not your masculinity. No amount of ‘manliness’ will cause those in power to reconsider their decision.” Weiss listened closely at his words, letting them sink in. This was much, much different than just about everything she’d been told in life. “So instead of pushing others away and thinking you’re entitled to things because of what you are, keep honing your skills and perfecting techniques, but also be the best person you can be.  _ That’s  _ what will benefit you in the end.”

 

With those words, their conversation came to a close. Walking back, Weiss mulled over what she’d been told. He’d made it clear that her gender wasn’t going to get her everywhere. She thought that with intelligence, strength, and skill backing her up, she would be able to always be at the top. Yet she was told she had to work on her attitude and character, not her masculinity. Sighing, she decided to accept that. She was in a team, so she’d do her best to act like it. 

 

At first, it had been very awkward for her to adjust to living in a dorm with three other girls. She had to make sure she was very modest and gave them their privacy and space, despite the fact that she had the same parts as them. However, as time passed, she got used to things and was actually starting to adjust to living at Beacon. She grew closer to her teammates and everyone seemed to be doing well. 

 

At least until… 

  
  
“Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!” 

 

Blakes words were met with silence as everyone froze. Nobody knew what to say, or what to think. Blake didn’t give anyone a chance to compose themselves, however, as she darted out of the dorm room, leaving three shocked and confused girls staring wide-eyed at the door. 

 

Without another word, Weiss laid down on her bed, her mind reeling from what she’d just heard. Was Blake one of  _ them _ . Could she even trust her now? Just how much was she hiding? Is she dangerous?

 

The questions swirling in her mind didn’t let her get any sleep. 

 

The next day, the trio was walking around, calling out for Blake. Or, at least, Yang and Ruby were. Weiss was too lost in her own thoughts. Even the annoying shrill yelling happening in front of her didn’t distract her until it was aimed at her. 

 

“Weiiiiss, you’re not helping!” Ruby whined. 

 

“Oh, you know who might be able to help? The police!” she snapped.

 

“Ugh, Weiss,” Ruby groaned, crossing her arms. 

 

“It was just an idea,” She shrugged. 

 

“Yeah. A bad one,” her leader mumbled as she kept walking. 

 

“Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions,” Yang offered, trying to calm the heir down. 

 

“Well,  _ I _ think that when we hear it, you’ll all realize that I was right!” Weiss huffed. 

 

“And  _ I  _ think that Weiss’ hair looks wonderful today!”

 

Weiss flinched after hearing the random fourth voice pop in. But then she realized what the odd ginger had said to her. She’d complimented Weiss’ hair. Anger built up inside of her.  _ It must look girly _ , she thought to herself, huffing in irritation. Her hair wasn’t special, it was just in a ponytail.  

 

Just then,a thought crossed her mind.  _ Does… does she know?! Has she seen past my act? _ Her anger did a 180 and turned into anxiety. Did she forget to do anything that morning? She  _ hadn’t _ slept the previous night, so maybe she did something wrong? But no, her binder was there, and her hair was still tied up in that masculine ponytail. Perhaps she was fretting over nothing. There was no way this awkward girl knew the truth. 

 

Well… that’s what she thought until Penny called Blake a faunus, mentioning that there were cat ears under her bow. It that was true, and Penny was  _ that _ perceptive, then maybe she  _ did _ know. The anxiety returned tenfold, and it took her an enormous amount of effort to not let it show. 

 

Amidst her worrying, she realized something. She and Blake had something in common. They were both hiding who they truly were, covering themselves to appease the people around them. The fabric they used to cover themselves was just so that they don’t have to be hurt by anyone else. So they wouldn’t have to face judgment, and they could pretend they were ‘normal’. It was all a long, awful, tiring game of pretend. They had so much on the line if they were to be exposed and could barely feel comfortable in their own skin. It was suffocating, and absolutely dreadful. 

 

Now, Weiss related with Blake on a much, much deeper level. 

  
  


* * *

 

 

Weiss walked up to Blake as Ruby tried to explain the situation, ignoring the young leader. As she came, close, Blake began to speak. 

 

“Weiss, I want you to know that I’m no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-”

 

“Stop” She interrupted, surprising the cat faunus. “Do you have any idea how long we’ve been searching for you?” she paused briefly, being met with silence. “Twelve hours! That means that I’ve had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I’ve decided…” another pause. “I don’t care.”

 

“You don’t care?” Blake asked, absolutely flabbergasted at Weiss’ declaration. 

 

“So long as you’re not one of them anymore, as you said. Just promise me that the next time something this big comes up, you’ll come to your teammates and not some…” she glances at Sun for a moment, before continuing. “Someone else.”

 

Blake paused before nodding. “Of course,” she said, letting out a breath. She was relieved that things had gone well, as she’d been certainly sure that it would all go downhill. Weiss sent Blake a sympathetic glance before they departed back to their dorm. Blake managed to catch a glimpse of it, wondering what that was about. She felt as if there was more to Weiss than what she knew. Silently, she wondered just who the heir really was. Something about him felt… off. Shrugging, she figured she’d find out soon.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss and Blake go to the library to 'study'.
> 
> It doesn't go very well.

  
_ This was a mistake,  _ thought Weiss as she walked silently with a slightly confused Blake at her side. Normally, she would have Ruby accompany her as she studied. After all, the young leader really needed it and she refused to be lead by a girl who got subpar grades. Today, however, she’d asked Blake to come with her to the library with her as she studied. In reality, she wanted to talk to the Faunus, but she didn’t really know  _ how _ . How could she explain that she related to the other girl? She’d probably come off as annoying and ignorant because she was a Schnee. Schnees weren’t oppressed like Faunus were. Their company was known for not treating them right, as much as she didn’t believe that was true. But it was very likely that it would still offend Blake, and she’d probably want an explanation. She couldn’t tell her though. Nobody was to know of her predicament. So instead, she remained silent.

 

Blake hadn’t minded the request at all, she loved spending long periods of time in the library, but even she knew that the request was rather odd coming from the Schnee heir. In fact, other than when Weiss would drag Ruby down to study, she normally preferred to study alone, distancing herself from the rest of the team as much as possible. The amount of time she spent doing that was much, much more than she spent doing anything else other than practicing combat or disappearing somewhere. It was almost like she was barely there, and it would seem that she preferred that. The team had tried to reach out, but he just distanced himself more. 

 

Blake had actually begun to be concerned with Weiss. He’d go to sleep and wake up at odd hours, barely allowing himself to sleep. Every morning, while it was still dark, her ears would twitch as she heard him pull something from beneath his bed and quietly make his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. She could hear his breath become a little labored as if he was nervous as he reached under his bed. She never looked, as she respected his privacy, but she couldn’t help but wonder about it. Especially seeing as he often looked exhausted and stressed. Something seemed… wrong. 

 

They soon made it to the library and walked to a quiet, empty area of the room, where they were less likely to get disturbed. The duo sat down, Weiss pulling out textbooks and Blake pulling out her own, along with a little… extra book. Weiss still hadn’t said a word to her since he invited her to study with him, and she found herself wondering again why he chose to have her accompany him. He was just silently reading through his material, not asking for or offering help, and the atmosphere felt awkward, like neither of them knew what to say. 

 

After a few minutes, Blake noticed that Weiss was doing what he usually did when he ‘studied’. He flipped through the same pages, over and over, having likely memorized them word-for-word. He probably didn’t actually need to study, it was likely an excuse not to talk. Sighing, she figured she’d have to say something first and try to get him to open up, it would be a struggle, seeing as she herself wasn’t too great at that, but Weiss looked like he really needed it. 

 

“Weiss.”

 

The ice king flinched, his eyes darting away from his work and turning towards Blake. 

 

“Y-yes?” He stuttered, surprised that she spoke up. He hoped he didn’t do anything wrong.

 

“Why are we  _ really _ here?” Blake questioned, her gaze slightly suspicious.

 

“You know, I never was a fan of thinking too deeply into philosophical questions like that,” he dodged, making Blake sigh. 

 

“You know  _ exactly _ what I’m talking about.”

 

Weiss sighed. “You know, when we’re in our dorm room, and it’s just our team, you don’t have to hide who you are with that bow. It’s gotta be frustrating to wear it all the time. Even around the people you know you’re supposed to trust,” she said. She knew it was a bit hypocritical of her to say that, but despite knowing that, she reasoned that she was fine, and Blake deserved it more than her. Blake didn’t have the weight of an entire company on her shoulders, she had just been born a Faunus and ignorant people immediately didn’t accept her. There was no reason she should have to deal with that all the time. It was different, and she couldn’t help but feel bad. 

 

Blake was silent for a moment, wondering what he was getting at. “I know. You guys have made that more than clear. I’m just not… comfortable with that yet.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Blake raised an eyebrow “Sorry for what?”

 

“Sorry you can’t be comfortable.”

 

“Look if you’re blaming yourself because you’re a Schnee, I assure you that that’s not-“

 

“No. I just don’t think it’s fair. That you and… _ others _ can’t have some sort of escape or freedom.”

 

They sat there silently for a moment before Blake narrowed her eyes “Are you hiding something?”

 

Weiss didn’t respond, silently gripping the edge of the table. She knew this was really a bad idea, and she felt fear growing rapidly inside of her. 

 

Sensing her dread, Blake tried to calmly reason with him. “Look, I eventually came clean about myself, though it wasn’t in the best way… but you guys still stuck by my side. You can tell me-“

 

“No. No, this was a mistake.” Weiss suddenly said, collecting her things. “I’m sorry for bothering you. You probably want to read your book in peace.” She stood up, holding her books, about to leave when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. 

 

“What are you running from? I won’t judge you, you should know that,” she tried to assure Weiss. 

 

“Please let me go,” Weiss said softly, trying to turn away. At first, Blake didn’t move, but it soon became apparent that Weiss wasn’t going to say a word. She let go, and immediately the heir rushed off, as Blake was left to wonder what even happened.   

 

* * *

 

 

Weiss was mentally bashing herself as she rushed away from the library. 

 

_ You probably could’ve told her. _

 

She probably could have, and she had planned to, but she was too afraid. What if someone was nearby but out of sight, hearing every word? What if Blake thought it wasn’t a real problem? After all, for all she knew, this was normal. She didn’t have anyone else around to tell her otherwise. 

 

When she had finally found out Blake’s situation, she thought that maybe she could tell her. Like Blake said, she came clean, so Weiss should be able to too. But something held her back. Almost like it was tugging at her, willing her to run away and keep her mouth shut. At that moment, it hadn’t mattered what she wanted, but…

 

But what her father wanted did matter. 

 

Even though she knew that she could trust them with that information, it couldn’t take the years of her father drilling into her head that she couldn’t let a single soul know. If it somehow got out, she’d be ruined. She would no longer be the heir to the SDC. Despite the fact that it had been an expectation for her to inherit the company since birth, and she didn’t have much of a say, upholding her family’s legacy was very important to her regardless. She wanted to run the company, it was the one thing she’d worked so hard for her entire life. She couldn’t let her weakness get in the way of that goal. 

 

She wasn’t strong, but she had to at least pretend. 

 

Sighing, she avoided Team RWBY’s dorm room for the rest of the day. The last thing she’d wanted was to face any questions or comments. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the chapter is kind of short, the next one will be much longer, I assure you. It's already done, I just gotta proofread a bit and such. Also very, VERY sorry if the pronouns are wonky, I try to be consistent but it's super hard with this. Please, criticism and comments are very appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss takes a risk. Or tries to.

Blake let out a long, calming breath as she sat on her bed. The rest of the team were busying themselves with either studying (Weiss) or playing video games (Ruby and Yang), not paying any attention to the cat faunus, who was mentally preparing herself to do something. Glancing over to Weiss, she noticed that he was, again, ‘studying’ the same material. It had been the same page he’d opened to when they went in the library together, which had happened a week ago. Seeing that alone made what Blake was about to do all the more important to her. Talking obviously didn’t work, which wasn’t too much of a surprise seeing as that wasn’t exactly her strong suit. But maybe, she thought, there was something else she could do to help him out.

 

Blake slowly raised her hand to the top of her head, stopping as she felt the familiar smooth material of her bow. Then, after a brief pause, she unfastened it, letting it fall to her mattress. It felt odd, doing this in the middle of the day rather than right before bed. But Weiss had been right back in the library. She should be comfortable around her teammates. Besides, they’d already seen it, they already know, and she trusted them. She did deserve to feel free, especially around them.

 

But she could tell, however, that Weiss wasn’t letting himself taste that freedom. For some reason, he was adamant about her letting loose, yet something still held him back. No matter how close they were, or how different their pasts may be, he was a teammate, someone who accepted and supported her. Nobody knew how to break through to him, but she was determined to find out. Her team managed to get through to her, and now it was time for her to give that back.

 

Biting back the small amount of nervousness and doubt that seemed to be constantly present whenever she removed her bow, she let out another sigh and did what she’d normally do, which was reading, From that moment, she’d decided that she’d go by what Weiss said and take off her bow whenever she was just in the dorm room, around her team. Not only because he was right, but because she hoped that, by seeing this, he’d be able to come out about whatever he was hiding about himself.

 

* * *

 

 

Weiss thought that she would be okay going back to normal. That she could just brush it off and not let it get to her. She wasn’t going to let herself get bothered and held back by feelings and other unimportant things. She told herself these things hoping upon hope that it would be enough to last her for the rest of her time here. However, it had merely been a week later when it happened.

 

It started when Blake had taken off her bow.

 

She had thought before that Blake would stay hidden beneath that bow. That things would be normal, and she could just play things off like it was okay. But then, Blake had actually taken her advice. She took that bow off, and even though it was only for the time she was in the room with her team, it was still much, much more than what she could do. Though she had been doing everything in her power to avoid it, she couldn’t help but begin to envy Blake. Despite how much she tried to shake it away, she couldn’t deny it to herself. She… _wanted_ that. She wanted to be able to have those moments where she could just be who she really was. And though it wasn’t exactly worth it… she also couldn’t deny that it would indeed be very, very nice.

 

She almost wanted to shatter that distorted image of herself she let out for the world to see. It festered inside of her, and yet, it would be abruptly halted as her father’s image flashed in her mind, then it would rush back to her. Why she was doing this, what was at cost, what she’d worked for every day,  it would seem to smack into her. Then she’d just do as she normally did and continued to pretend.

 

Though at some point, she’d realized that all of what she was putting into this was distancing herself from everyone. Despite all of these people here around her every day, despite being able to interact with more human beings than she’s ever been able to in her entire life, it felt so incredibly, soul-crushingly lonely. She didn’t exactly feel all the way there, as there was some sort of distance, a disconnect.

 

Very often, she’d try to shrug it off as she normally did. After all, she’d done it for years without a problem. But somehow, ever since Blake had decided to make an advance towards personal freedom, she couldn’t help but be constantly reminded of how trapped she herself was. Now she could constantly feel how uncomfortable all of these fabrics were, how she wished all of it were gone. That, no matter how much she denied it, she did want to be free. She was completely overwhelmed with doubt and fear. All of the things that she would just ignore, ‘for the sake of the company’, ‘for her father’. But…

 

_What about me?_

 

That’s a thought she hadn’t ever had in all of these years of pretending. She’d never thought about herself. She’d thought of her future that had been planned out for her, sure, but not what _she_ wanted to do. No, her thoughts were plagued with Jacques’ warnings. Everything he _did_ to her just to get her ‘in line’. What had been drilled into her mind for _years_. His strings that guided her through her life. She never took her own direction, not even once.

 

So, she began to wonder, could she maybe, just maybe, make one little choice on her own? Could she allow herself just a shred of individuality?

 

But then came fear, once again, tearing at her mind as it always did. One little mistake, one slip-up. It could ruin her entire career. Her life. Everything she had. It was a risk and it all came down to whether or not she was willing to take such a risk.

 

But… she didn’t know.

 

_Do I really… want to?_

 

And thus, she spent weeks thinking. Staring at those exposed faunus ears. It looked liberating. Like finally being let out of a restraint that’s been holding you back so long you hardly recognized it was there anymore. At least, that’s how she’d imagined it to be. And maybe that’s how it truly was with her. Maybe she couldn’t tell how much she was aching to be free because this was all she knew now. Maybe…

 

Maybe she could try.

 

Blake could trust them so…

 

She could too.

  


Well, maybe slowly.

  


Weiss had decided that she’d just do it one person at a time. She’d try again with Blake first.

  


And this time, she’d go through with it. She was sure of it.

 

Anxiety welled up in her chest as, sometime later in the week, she’d finally been alone in the dorm room with just Blake. She was nearly shaking in nervousness, and a bit of sweat had managed to accumulate on her forehead. But despite how tense she was, she couldn’t help but be a bit excited. She had no idea what would happen when she admitted it to Blake. But it gave her a bit of a thrill. She’d never disobeyed intentionally. This would be the first time that she made her own choice and did something purely for her own satisfaction.

 

It both excited her and horrified her.

 

She took a few calming breaths before finally speaking up. It was finally the moment, Her mouth felt dry, and she hardly trusted herself to speak coherently, but she was _going_ to do this.

 

“H-hey Blake,” the first words escaped her mouth shakily, and she almost cringed at how weak and vulnerable she sounded. But,  she threw such thoughts aside and continued. “Would it be okay if I could just… talk to you about something?”

 

Blake had immediately put her book aside, not even bothering to bookmark it, and suddenly those intense, amber eyes were staring intently at Weiss. Never has she ever been so encouraged yet terrified by a look in someone’s eyes.

 

“Of course,” she’d said in her normal monotone voice, yet something about it seemed relieved. Weiss was sure that Blake had remained suspicious of her after the incident in the library, and she knew the dark haired girl likely wanted an explanation.

 

“I just… there’s something I haven’t been honest with anyone about…” she started, pausing to take a few calming breaths and will herself to keep talking. Blake just waited patiently, letting her take her time, which Weiss was very thankful for. Clearing her throat, she continued. “I just thought at maybe you would understand more, because… y’know…” Blake simply nodded, silently waiting, wondering what this whole issue was about. She was ready for the answer, whatever it may be.  Weiss sighed and tried to keep her voice from shaking as she kept going. “I’m not… what everyone thinks of me to be. This… this is not me… I’m actually…”

 

She choked up right there.

 

It was if her mouth had been sewn together with string and she couldn’t physically say the words. Suddenly she wanted to _run._ Her mouth was dry and numb like it could no longer function. The excitement, the joy, the nervousness, it has all been replaced once more with an intense fear. At that moment, she seemed to be stuck. Her body felt glued to her spot.

As these sensations grew deep inside of her, tears welled in her eyes. She couldn’t even feel or hear herself crying. There was just fear. She couldn’t do this. She _shouldn’t_ even be doing this. She was a girl.

 

She was weak.

 

As if she could truly rebel against her father.

 

All she could hear in her mind was her father yelling that she was a pathetic girl. That as such, she couldn’t get anywhere. And now, at this moment, torn by her own emotions, her father was proven right. She’d gone to take a step for herself and she’d gone nowhere. She had gotten stopped in her tracks… by herself. It wasn’t that she wasn’t ready. No, she’d _never_ be ready. She didn’t have the courage or strength of a man. She didn’t have the ability to truly make her own decisions, which was why she’d listened to her father all of these years. He was a successful man, and he always knew what to do to get what he wanted, and all she was there to do was fulfill his wishes and in turn, pretend that she could amount to anything even remotely as good as him.

 

She’d failed. The first and only step she’d taken to just have _something_. And she couldn’t utter another word.

 

As these thoughts flooded her mind, threatening to consume her, she didn’t notice Blake’s look of concern. She hadn’t noticed that the quiet girl had walked over to her own bunk. However, she _did_ notice when she was pulled in for a hug.

 

* * *

 

 

Blake felt a bit awkward as she wasn’t exactly the best at comforting people. But as Weiss froze up, choking on his own words and bursting into tears, she knew she had to do something. So, tentatively, she pulled the heir into what she hoped was a comforting hug. As they hugged, she couldn’t help but notice that his body wasn’t as bulky as she’d thought it’d be if she hadn’t known better, with how slender he felt, she would almost guess that Weiss was a girl There were likely muscles and all, but they weren’t very defined. But of course, nobody’s built the same, so she couldn’t come to any sort of conclusions about anything. He could just be a rather slender guy.

 

She decided to ignore how Weiss’ body felt and focused on trying to rub soothing patterns into his back as he cried. She felt bad. Obviously, whatever it was that was eating at him must have been dreadful, seeing as it had driven him to tears. She hadn’t expected such an emotional reaction. Now, more than ever, she wondered just what happened to this poor guy? He couldn’t even bring himself to say anything, and yet he’d started out looking so determined to go through with it. He’d seemed to ready and it all suddenly crashed and gone downhill. And the worst thing was how she felt absolutely helpless. She couldn’t help but feel she had failed. There was something Weiss really needed to say, and she couldn’t even help him do that. Some teammate she was…

 

_Maybe Ruby and Yang would know how to do this better…_

 

They weren’t introverts like her. They were better at talking and communication. In general, they were much, much more cut out for this sort of thing than her. She felt like a fool for thinking she could even come close to helping Weiss on her own. She frowned as she continued to hold Weiss, feeling defeated.

 

Soon, the heir pulled away and wiped his face with his handkerchief.

 

“I’m so, so very sorry about that,” he apologized, looking quite ashamed.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Blake insisted. If anything, she should probably be the one who was sorry. She hadn’t made any real progress with him, and she probably never could.

 

“Um… please don’t tell the others about that,” the heir said, letting out a few final sniffles before sighing and discarding the used handkerchief. His face burned red in embarrassment. “I must’ve looked really weak and stupid just crying like that, and I’d just rather nobody else ever know or see that.”

 

“It’s not weak _or_ stupid. You’re just… not ready to face this sort of thing yet and it’s a normal thing for someone who’s gone through a lot. Trust me, I know,” Blake reassured.

 

Weiss sighed. “Yeah, but you’re a girl. Yet you had to comfort _me_.”

 

“And? I don’t care what’s between anyone’s legs, we’re all people and we all feel _emotions_. What’s ‘acceptable’ doesn’t matter.”

 

Weiss didn’t respond to that, simply sighing and shaking her head.

 

“Well, I’ve gotta go. To the library. For more...study material…” he said weakly, making sure his face was fully cleaned before quickly leaving, not giving Blake a chance to respond or stop him.

 

Blake sighed, and went back to her bunk, feeling defeated.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just played all of Weiss' songs on loop nonstop, helps a ton to get me inspired and motivated. I hope this chapter was alright! And I've just got some random quick sketches I did. I didn't really put much effort at all so sorry if they suck. Thank you, comments and criticism are appreciated~!


	4. Chapter 4

Blake had been losing more and more hope over time. She couldn’t help but have Weiss on her mind very often nowadays, as she racked her brain for something, anything to help the heir. To her dismay, no matter what she tried, it turned out to be entirely fruitless, and she’d get frustrated. She’d gone through all of the hiding and holding in everything, so she thought she’d be able to get through to him much easier than this. That didn’t seem to be the case, however, as Weiss stayed as silent as possible. It was getting ridiculous. 

 

Which is why she’d gotten the attention of Yang and Ruby one day, as the quiet heir left the room to ‘study’ once more. 

 

“I think one of you should be the one to try and get through to him,” She began, her ears drooping slightly. The sisters glanced at each other, both with concerned frowns before looking back at the faunus. 

 

“I thought you said you’d handle this Blake? Not that I don’t also wanna help Weiss, but…” the blonde started, before Ruby piped in. 

 

“Ya kinda said that you’d be more suited for it seeing as you dealt with… you know…”

 

“I know what I said,” Blake sighed, shaking her head. “But I was wrong. So wrong. He hasn’t said a thing and it’s been over a month. He even  _ tried _ to but he just can’t seem to open up to me.”

 

“Well then he’s just not ready. I mean, he approached you, and as you said, he  _ tried _ to tell you, so I think that if any of us had a chance of finding out the problem it’s you,” Yang pointed out, leaning against the leg of the upper makeshift bunk bed and crossing her arms. 

 

“You just gotta be patient Blake!” her leader added. Blake stared blankly at her. 

 

“Ruby, you don’t know the first thing about being patient…”

 

“But  _ you _ do! I’m just offering advice.”

 

“What we’re saying is, Blake,” Yang interrupted, “Weiss might just need to go at his own pace, and all you can really do is wait for him to be ready. You can’t just force him to be ready to talk.”

 

“I know… I guess the reason why I thought to ask you two is because, well, you all helped me out when I had to admit who I was. So I thought that maybe I just wasn’t meant to play the supportive role too. I mean, we got through that situation in just a few days… So I couldn’t help but be upset after I couldn’t settle this in over a month…”  She admitted. 

 

“This is a different person, Blake. Just think, Weiss is like, super-duper rich, and his family runs a lotta stuff, so maybe it’s something that he can’t really talk about openly. It might be risky for him,” Ruby pointed out, shrugging. “We’re his team, and he can trust us, but that won’t really mean that he’s ready to expose something too personal about himself if there’s so much on the line.”

 

Huh. Ruby definitely had a point there. Blake couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t thought about it herself. Perhaps she’d assumed that Weiss didn’t have to worry about what he shared with the team, but it made sense that he was struggling to open up. Everyone had their struggles, and like Weiss had mentioned before, him and his family had a target painted on their backs for years. Sure Blake hadn’t wanted to be judged and oppressed by racist people, but Weiss likely had an equally good reason to stay silent. It wasn’t just insecurities and wanting to fit in, most likely. 

 

“You’re… completely right Ruby,” Blake agreed, letting out a small sigh. “I… probably should’ve considered that. I’m just rushing things.”

 

“It’s understandable. I’m pretty sure you hated feeling like you had to hide from everyone so much, so it makes sense that you’d be so eager to help him out,” Yang said. 

 

“You’re right. I keep thinking about how things were for me and I just… really would rather not have my friends have to deal with the same stuff. But I need to start looking at his perspective too.” 

 

She’d been treating both situations like they were the same thing, and while it may have been pretty similar, it was under different circumstances. They likely had different reasons to hide. So, like with anything new, she’d have to be patient. She didn’t like it, but it was for the best. Besides, it wasn’t about what she liked, it was about helping Weiss however she could. With that thought, she nodded to herself, her determination to help brought back with the help of the two half-siblings. “Thanks, you two. I was honestly starting to doubt myself a bit too much.”

 

“You’re welcome Blakey!” Yang flashed the faunus a smile, and Blake let a small smile curl onto her own lips. “Maybe you should talk to Weiss. About normal stuff. I’m sure he’d like the company, and it’d help him get more comfortable with you. I know it’s not your thing, but it would probably help,” She suggested. Blake nodded and stood up. 

 

“I’ll go find him now. Besides, I know he’s not actually studying anyways. Thanks again,” she said before putting on her bow and walking out of the room. 

 

* * *

 

Weiss was back in the secluded corner of the library surrounded by papers and books. However, in front of her was not notes on any lessons or an essay. Rather there was a lineless paper with a drawing on it. The drawing depicted a slender girl in a beautiful dress with a ponytail, singing to a rather hastily scribbled audience. It was clear most of the time and effort had been put into the singing girl, as she had the most detail out of anything else in the picture. 

 

She wished she could be the one singing her heart out for the entire world to hear. But her father didn’t allow her to sing. She’d gotten private lessons and everything, but she couldn’t learn to keep up her fake voice and sing at the same time, so he forbade her to sing. So, rather than singing, she’d picked up drawing as a way to pass the time and let her dreams go wild. It was a good way to let out her feelings without anyone suspecting a thing. Art had nothing to do with gender, so it was an escape from everything she had to deal with every single day. 

 

At first, she didn’t have much of an opportunity to do it, as she was busy getting used to being on a team and actually needing to study when she first arrived. Now, however, she was sure she could ace every upcoming test in her sleep, and she’d been actively trying to avoid the rest of team RWBY as much as she could, in fear that she would slip up. So, when she would slip off to the library without saying a word, she’d not only scoop up her textbooks but her sketchbook that she’d brought from home and draw. Weiss was aware that she didn’t necessarily need to bring books, but she felt better pretending to be studying, rather than just running off all the time. She was sure that Blake knew that she wasn’t  _ actually _ studying, but it didn’t matter to Weiss, an excuse was an excuse. 

 

Sitting at the empty and slightly dusty corner of the library, she’d sketch random things, but most of her art consisted of the girl she was currently drawing. The girl was a representation of who she wished to be. A girl who was free to be who she was, and do what she wanted, going against what she was told. It was a mere fantasy; she knew that in reality, she couldn’t just ignore her father. She couldn’t get away with rebelling. What would she have? Her future was in the hands of the man that ordered her to do these things. As much as she hated how his influence tugged on her, she knew she couldn’t resist it. She was as weak and helpless as a puppet, who’s very purpose was simply to be manipulated, to bend to it’s creator’s will. Though, despite how weak and incompetent she felt being a woman, she still made the girl she drew confident, strong, and smart. Everything that her father told her that she, as a woman, could never be. In her own way, drawing something so ‘impossible’ alone felt rebellious as well. But that’s as far as she’d ever get with going against her father.

 

Blake had figured Weiss would be in the library, so she found the heir quickly. Upon arriving, she’d immediately noticed a change, as he wasn’t flipping through a textbook or his notes, but was instead actually writing something down for once. Upon closer inspection, she found out that he was actually drawing. He didn’t seem to be using anything fancy, however, the somewhat rough lines came together into a well-made piece. Blake couldn’t help but be impressed by his skill and the quality of the drawing.

 

“I didn’t know you could draw, Weiss,” Blake spoke up after she came up next to him. His pencil fell onto the wooden desk with a clatter as her sudden presence had caught him off guard.

 

“W-what do you think you’re doing, sneaking up on me like that?!” He whispered harshly, frowning in irritation and slight embarrassment. Blake let out a silent chuckle and sat beside him. 

 

“I’m sorry, Weiss. I was just stopping by for a moment,” she apologized sincerely, though the small smile didn’t leave her face. Weiss let out a frustrated sigh, closing his sketchbook. “I’m not getting in the way, am I? I didn’t want to interrupt your drawing.” Blake said, sitting in the other chair at the small table.

 

“No, it’s stupid anyway,” Weiss mumbled. 

 

Blake frowned. “Why do you say that?”

 

Could she possibly say anything to even remotely explain the futility of her work? How could she possibly explain a single thing to the faunus without risking anything? Could she share something, just one little thing, and keep from being found out? The thoughts flew through her mind, each more worrying than the last, yet in the end, she decided she wouldn’t stay completely silent. She hoped upon hope that she wouldn’t freeze up once more. 

 

“Well, what’s the point in drawing something meaningless? It won’t ever be real. It doesn’t represent anything tangible. It’s useless.”

 

“Well, that's kinda the same with my books, Blake commented. “I’m just reading about impossible situations that would make no real sense in the real world. All of it’s about things that I’d probably never get to do, and rooting for characters who get to feel happy even when I’ve been convinced that I’d never be able to have that kind of joy. But I still read it because it’s an escape, and I get to feel happy for a bit, even if I know I’ll have to put it down and face the real world at some point. But it’s worth it. That’s the reason to keep going at it.”

 

The heir stiffened at those words, surprised with how much she related with Blake about that. In a way, projecting her dreams on the paper and creating that character that she wished could be  _ her _ , gave her a temporary sense of joy that took her away from the cold grip of reality. Even if it wouldn’t last, she could be happy. For just a few hours. She could pretend, and immerse herself. The blinding lights and the waves of applause would sweep her mind away, and she could just hear the light feathery voice that she’d long since abandoned. How free it would feel to stop forcing it to be something it’s not and pretending to sound ‘correct’. Her father’s condescending reprimands that seemed to be ever-present in the depths of her mind would be washed away into dull, forgettable gibberish that she could finally ignore. 

 

Dull blue eyes met curious amber eyes, as Weiss couldn’t help but hear her mind screaming at her to say  _ something _ . She was frozen in place, her mouth unwilling to move. The closest she’s ever come to telling Blake anything about herself was what she just said a minute ago, and it felt like absolutely nothing. It couldn’t possibly be close to enough. The more Blake related to her, the more Weiss’ mind screamed to let it all out. Blake would understand and she was safe to tell her teammates anything. But it would seem that her mouth could only move at her father’s will, rather than her own. He controlled her with a harsh, iron fist. His ‘lessons’ had been slapped into her and she subconsciously held herself back, ignoring her true desires. 

 

“Though, I will say that you can’t just rely on it forever.  Yeah, drawing and reading is an escape, and doing things that make you happy is great, but facing it is pretty important too, you know,” She pointed out. Weiss stiffened at those words. 

 

“What if… there’s nothing you can do about it?” Weiss asked hesitantly.

 

Blake frowned. “You can’t just give up on it. At least take some strides to better the situation even if you’re convinced you can’t fix it.” Her ears twitched underneath her bow as she sighed. “I mean, you’re the one who showed me that. I don’t feel comfortable showing this bigoted society who I am… but I have friends who actually care. You guys aren’t like that, and when we had that talk, I allowed myself to be just a little freer.”

 

Weiss was silent for a moment, taking in the words. She knew that she should be saying something, She should be telling Blake who she really was, confessing right there in that moment. Instead, she avoided it even more. “What if that brings more fear, and my situation just gets worse? And I just… lose everything.” Saying those words alone was enough for her heart to start pumping, as anxiety crept and tingled throughout her body. She could imagine several situations where it all just went downhill and everything was ruined. But the last thing she could ever do was allow any of these thoughts to become a reality. 

 

“That’s what I thought about myself. I thought that I’d be outed to everyone, and I’d have to hear the same things I heard as a child all over again. But, well, I’m sure you can see that things went much, much better than I thought it would,” Blake said, sighing once more. She remembered that she hadn’t come here for this. Once again, she’d made him uncomfortable and started encouraging him to speak up. A little disappointed in herself, she cleared her throat. “Look, I understand and accept that you’re just… not ready to say anything. I don’t want to try and force you into doing anything, I just want you to be okay, Weiss. It looks like it’s just eating up at you and it’s hard to ignore, that’s all. I can’t really help it, I just… really  _ care _ about you.”

 

Weiss couldn’t help but be a bit startled and confused when her heart skipped a beat after hearing those words. That wasn’t something she was used to feeling in the least bit, and she tried not to make it look too obvious to Blake. She hadn’t said anything too amazing or different, but she realized that her whole life, she hadn’t heard anyone genuinely say something like that to her. Her father was cold and uptight, and her siblings were far away, even the one who lived in the same mansion as her. Not to mention, she never had any genuine friends before coming to Beacon. She figured she must’ve been starved for affection, nothing more. That was the only way she could think to describe her feelings, which then led to her feeling disappointment. She felt silly and weak for being so heavily affected by Blake’s words.

 

They sat in silence for a bit, until Weiss decided that she was irritated by her inner voices and re-opened her sketchbook, this time to a new page. No longer caring that Blake was there, she started a new sketch, trying not to seem too bothered. Halfway through her sketch, Blake finally spoke up again. “Did someone teach you how to draw that well?”

 

Weiss shook her head. “No, I taught myself in my spare time. But Klein would always give me input and advice.”

 

Blake’s eyes rose in slight surprise. She’d expected Weiss to have had some sort of personal art teacher or something along those lines with how wealthy her family was. “Wait, who’s Klein?” She questioned. 

 

“Oh, that’s just my butler,” She explained, scribbling out a few lines. “He practically raised me. I always went to him whenever… father wasn’t available.”

 

“Huh. He seems nice.”

 

“He most definitely is. I kinda miss him right now, actually,” Weiss said, with a weak smile. Truly, if there was anyone in the world that she knew for 100% certain that she could trust him with anything. He was the only one she could confide in, and he always did her best to minimize the pain her father brought her daily. At least, that’s how it was until one time he’d gotten caught giving Weiss a doll that she’d wanted one day. Not only was the doll promptly thrown away, but she rarely saw him again after that. That had only been a few years ago. At the time, she’d felt embarrassed from wanting such a juvenile thing, but she’d never had something like that before and her father absolutely refused to let her have one. But Klein instantly understood and tried so very hard to make her happy. Ever since then, it’s been nothing but shared glances and sad looks from him. She was almost entirely certain that her father forbade him to be near her after that, and it was all her fault. Yet again, her femininity had ruined so much. She sighed internally and diverted from that topic. “But I still prefer to be here though. I know it might not seem like it, but I really do love staying at Beacon and studying.”

 

“Really? I would’ve thought this school wouldn’t be up to your standards,” Blake said with a slight smirk. 

 

“Oh shush, you,” Weiss huffed shaking her head, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “My standards are high, but not ridiculous.”

 

“Suuure,” Blake teased, dodging a swat from Weiss. 

 

The conversation continued on as they finally began talking casually for once. For the first time in a long time, Weiss felt truly at ease and comfortable having a conversation. It felt different to ramble on about things that, while they didn’t matter much, were still fun to talk about at the very least. Other than Klein, there wasn’t anyone she’d ever taken the time to just talk about whatever and enjoy herself. Sure, a part of her nagged that she should actually be elaborating on her issues, but instead, she just made sure to try and enjoy herself as they rambled on and she sketched lazily onto her sketchbook. 

 

Eventually, Blake looked down and saw the heir complete a sketch. It was that same character, singing into a microphone. She looked so happy and content, and while the sketch was quite pretty, she still looked as beautiful as in the more finished drawing. The faunus was distracted as she stared down at the drawing, and Weiss eventually noticed and paused. 

 

“Y-you really like it that much?” 

 

Blake blinked, finally looking away from the art. “Well yeah. You’re a pretty good artist, and I love her design,” She complimented. Weiss fought away a slight blush, sighing silently. 

 

“Thanks,” Weiss mumbled, not used to getting such praise.    
  


“She kinda reminds me of you.”

 

Weiss froze.

 

“W-wh-what do you mean by that?” 

 

Blake quirked an eyebrow. “I didn’t mean anything bad, but her design just really matches your aesthetic. An expensive looking, princess-like dress, long flowing hair, and she’s just… really pretty. Like she’s royalty or something,” she explained with a shrug.

 

Weiss felt her face burn, and she couldn’t fight it away this time. It had sounded like Blake indirectly called her pretty, which she knew couldn’t be true whatsoever. Disappointment rushed over her, but deep down, a small part of her lit up in joy. She knew she wasn’t supposed to feel happy about it, but she wanted it. It was a bit mortifying to her, but for the time being, she just let it happen.

 

She soon snapped out of it when Blake began to apologize after she’d been silent for so long and the faunus got concerned. After assuring her that she hadn’t said anything bad, she closed her notebook once more. Blake pouted. 

 

“You’re not gonna finish it?” 

 

Weiss smiled at that, finding Blake’s fascination with her art to be amusing and endearing. She stood up, holding her sketchbook in her arms.

 

“I’ll finish tomorrow. And… you can come and watch if you’d like,” Weiss answered.

 

Blake smile and also stood up. “I’m looking forward to it,” she said. The two left the library side by side with smiles on their faces.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel pretty iffy about this chapter. I almost wanted to rewrite it, but I didn't exactly know how. As for the art, it's highly rushed because I actually did it at my school's computer lab... they have nice tablets UwU. Buuuuut I was kinda supposed to be working on an art project. However, I couldn't leave you guys artless ;). I hope you like it regardless. Comments and criticism are appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

As more and more days went by, Weiss and Blake spent much more time together. There was rarely a time where you could see the two apart, as they had grown more comfortable with one another and found themselves talking very often. Weiss hadn’t come close to telling Blake what the big problem was, but he still opened up quite a bit. Blake got to see a completely different side of Weiss that she never knew.

 

Never did she see herself being in this position, spending countless hours opening up to Weiss Schnee, but here she was, glued to the heir’s side. There was more to him than she’d initially expected, and every day she couldn’t help but be somewhat eager to know him even better. Although she never found out what he was hiding, the things he  _ did _ tell her were very interesting, and she found herself relating to him much more than she thought she would. Though he did tend to dodge subjects such as family, his home, or his childhood. 

 

Despite having plenty of other things to do every day, all that seemed to be on her mind was the white haired man. That’s not to say that school and the rest of her team were no longer important to her. Rather, she just couldn’t help but enjoy finding out the mysteries behind Weiss’ stoic mask. Not only that, but it felt great so share her own life and give a part of herself to the heir. Now, she found herself looking forward to exchange stories and experiences whilst enjoying a hot cup of tea. They were getting closer.

 

She liked it a lot.

 

_ Maybe a bit too much _ . Blake chided herself mentally, disappointed in herself. It hadn’t been her intention to try and get close to Weiss for  _ this  _ reason. It was hard for Blake to focus, but she had to remember  _ why _ she was actually doing this. To help Weiss. She refused to let some confusing feelings get in the way of doing that.

 

Still, despite her determination, those other thoughts and feelings didn’t disappear. She found herself struggling the closer they got, even though she did her best to not get distracted. It had started with a small feeling, a stutter of the heart when they made physical contact, a faint blush when they happened to lock eyes. She did her best to deny it. Alas, she eventually ran out of excuses for herself, and it had become very clear to her that she liked Weiss more than she should.

 

The fact that a certain person had also noticed this development wasn’t helping her either. 

 

“Off to go on another date with the Ice King?” 

 

Blake sighed internally as she heard the playful tone. Ruby may not have been as perceptive, but it seemed that Yang had caught onto what was going on before Blake herself had fully realized. The problem with this was that she wouldn’t leave her partner alone with it. Yang loved to poke fun at Blake about stuff, and this was no exception. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Without her, Blake would’ve likely taken much longer to realize how she felt, which would have likely complicated things further. Still, that didn’t mean that she was fond of Yang’s teasing in the least.

 

“It’s not like that, Yang,” Blake insisted for the umpteenth time, rolling her eyes at the brawler. At first, Blake would meet up with Weiss in the Library, and they’d about whatever came to mind and taking some time to just relax in each other’s company. Recently, however, they’d decided to start meeting up at a nearby cafe, and Yang made sure to comment or joke about it almost every time. There was nothing romantic about it. They did what they had been doing before, but now with tea and coffee to sip on. 

 

It had certainly helped them grow closer, however. Though Weiss didn’t like to share much about himself, she’d managed to learn a good amount of things about him, such as his love for creativity and how he looked up to his big sister. The more she learned, the more she saw him as a really sweet guy, though it also had her constantly itching to help him with the issue he dodged so frequently. He’d made it clear that he didn’t want any help and that he was uncomfortable with the subject, and so she respected that. That didn’t make it easy, however. 

 

“Then what is it like?” Yang asked, raising an eyebrow at the Faunus. 

 

“It’s like two friends chatting over tea. Why does that seem so far-fetched to you?” Blake defended, narrowing her eyes at the blonde. 

 

Yang shrugged. “I get it, friends can definitely hang out and go to a cafe together. Buuut…” she got closer to the Faunus, who frowned even more. “It’s written all over ya Blake, you’re starting to get the hots for Weiss.”

 

“Why is this even your business? Besides, I need to focus on helping him, not romance.”

 

A short pause.

 

_ Oh, wait- _

 

“So you DO like Weiss!”

 

Well, she tried. Sighing, she ran a hand over her face, concealing a faint blush. 

 

“So?”

 

Yang grinned “So, you should go for it,” she said.

 

“I… I just told you, I’m trying to help him out, not date him!” Blake said, her blush becoming more visible. 

 

The blonde shrugged. “Why can’t you do both?”

 

Blake hesitated. “I… don’t think that’d go well.”

 

Yang’s grin fell and she walked up to Blake. “Why do you think that?” She asked.

 

Blake closed her eyes with a sign. “We might get along, but I don’t think he trusts me. I’m probably the last person he wants to be with right now,” She explained with a sigh.

 

“I’m pretty sure you’ve got that backwards, Blake. You know he’s actually closer to you than anyone else here, right? Ruby’s his partner, and he still wont even attempt to open up to her.”

 

Blake shook her head. “Even if he is closer to me, what reason is there for him to like me? He’s only doing it because I’m probably one of the only people he knows that can somewhat relate to him. That doesn’t mean he actually likes me. I can’t even do anything for him,” she denied, huffing in irritation. 

 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Yang sighed, shaking her head and crossing her arms. In all honesty, she was getting tired of Blake’s self-deprecation. She heard nothing but doubt from her partner all the time, yet nothing she said had ever managed to stop the faunus from doing it. Thankfully, Yang was stubborn, and wouldn’t let her partner off the hook so easily. 

 

“Well, obviously he has nothing against you. So even if I’m totally wrong and he’s not actually into you, what’s the harm of just asking? At the worst, you’ll be told no, but I’m sure you can work through that.”

 

Well, she was probably  right about that. Blake had finally been backed into a corner, and had no more excuses to make up. Anything she could try to argue now would be either very far-fetched or a very obvious attempt to worm her way out of the conversation, and she knew for a fact that Yang could see through those attempts very easily, and the brawler had no patience for such things. Her ears lowered and she looked away as she sighed, growing silent as she racked her brain fruitlessly for something, knowing fully well that she was just giving in to her cowardice. 

 

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

 

Looking back up at her friend, she didn’t see the usual cocky smirk she would normally have whenever she proved her point, but instead she had a very serious expression. 

 

“Blake, just trust me okay? I’m only trying to help you out because you keep putting yourself down. You’re not paying attention to yourself, only Weiss. It’s fine to be concerned about him, but you need to do something for  _ you _ ,” she explained. 

 

Blake sighed. “Alright Yang, I’ll… I’ll give it a shot,” she said hesitantly, almost immediately regretting her words as a grin spread on Yang’s face. 

 

……….

 

There was no way she could do this. 

 

After a swift pat on the back and an encouraging shove out of the room (she’d barely finished getting ready, but Yang wasn’t concerned about that), she’d made her way to the cafe where Weiss was waiting for her. She’d ordered her normal earl grey and sat across from him, flashing a somewhat nervous smile as he smiled back. Nothing about this was out of the ordinary for them, but just the thought of what she was about to do had her on edge. Blake never intended on doing this at all, and yet she’d let Yang talk her into it. 

 

“You alright Blake?” Weiss asked, almost immediately noticing the slight discomfort in Blake’s demeanor. It turned out, Weiss was even  _ more _ perceptive than Yang. Blake was just about tired of feeling as though she was made of glass and everyone could see through her. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about it, and she’d have to suck it up. 

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Blake deflected, sipping her tea. Just a few sips would help calm her nerves and get her through the day, she was sure. 

 

Weiss slightly raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press further. 

 

“Well, I hope you like what I’ve got today. I haven’t drawn her in a while now,” He said after sipping his coffee. Pulling out his drawing pad, he slid it over to Blake, who smiled as she saw what the heir drew. It was the first character she’d seen Weiss draw weeks ago in the library. This time, she was in a cute pose, holding a mic and winking. Almost every drawing of that character was confident, cute, and happy, and also happened to have more detail in them than the others most of the time. She really seemed to be Weiss’s favorite, and Blake could see why. She looked like a character that was fun to draw. Not to mention, the ice king seemed to be connected to her, pouring a bit of himself into the character. 

 

“It looks amazing. I like how she’s always so cute and happy. All of my characters just kinda… suffer,” Blake chucked, shaking her head. While Weiss drew, Blake was a writer, though she never actually showed anyone else. It was yet another thing she opened up to Weiss about since they became close friends, and Weiss seemed to enjoy her work as well. A lot of their time was spent showing each other their works and talking about their concepts together, working on it and giving feedback. It was a nice, as it gave them a reason to spend more time together.

 

Weiss snorted in amusement. “That may be true, but they suit your narrative. I’m sure Snow wouldn’t fit in your writing very well.”

 

Laughing, Blake shook her head. “I guess you’re right about that one,” she admitted. “But that just means that all of my content is just depressing.”

 

“I think that your writing is interesting. It’s not sad and messed up for the sake of being messed up, it always has a purpose, and it often has a message that’s actually really good. You’re a good writer, Blake,” He complimented. Blake’s face heated up. 

 

“Th-thanks,” she said, hoping her blush wasn’t too noticeable. 

 

The two were silent for a while, both taking a moment to enjoy their drinks. Blake was making a conscious effort not to stare at him or be nervous. She still hadn’t said anything, and she didn’t know when, or if she ever  _ would _ . Despite what she’d told Yang, she wasn’t even completely convinced that she’d give it a shot. All she could imagine was things ending badly, and it made her feel worse and more nervous over time. 

 

Despite this, she managed to not completely lose her cool while they sipped at their drinks and talked about whatever came up. At some point, Weiss brought up a somewhat random subject after staring out of the window for a bit. 

 

“Isn’t there a park nearby?” He asked absentmindedly, taking a final sip from his now empty cup. 

 

“Yes, I believe so. Why do you ask?”

 

A small smile spread on his lips. 

 

“It’s so pretty outside today… why don’t we spend some time there for a change?” Weiss offered, looking rather eager to go. Though she didn’t know what caused him to suddenly want to go to the park, she smiled and nodded. Picking up both of their empty cups, he put them in a bin that was slowly getting filled with dirty dishes and utensils, and gave a polite wave towards the shopkeeper as the man at the counter said a friendly ‘goodbye’. Blake joined his side, and the two were on their way to the park. 

 

When they arrived, the park had a few children playing with one another, and some parents sitting nearby. Smiling, Weiss lead them to an unoccupied bench that was a bit far away from all of the commotion. The two sat down and Weiss, for some reason, looked quite satisfied and happy.

 

“Weiss, why did you want to come here so bad?” Blake asked. Weiss seemed to be contemplating how she should go about answering the question before shrugging with a sigh. 

 

“In all honesty Blake? I’ve never in my life been to a park before.”

 

Blake’s eyebrows rose slightly. It was a bit weird to hear that the heir had never visited a park, It was a common place for a child to play or someone older to just relax or hang out with others. While it was rare to hear of someone who hadn’t been to a park before, it wasn’t exactly the most mind-boggling thing in the world. However, with Weiss probably being able to go wherever she wanted in the world without too much trouble, it was a bit weird to hear. 

 

Weiss decided to continue. “I had really wanted to go as a kid. In the family’s limo, we’d be going somewhere, like some fancy dinner or boring party, and I’d look out the window…” Weiss’s smile died down a bit as she recounted the memories. “There would be all of these kids just… running around, with these big smiles on their faces. And Father insisted that I was too good for that. That I didn’t have the time to waste going out there and dirtying up my clothes that, honestly, could be cleaned or replaced in a heartbeat. After all, we had our own entertainment at the mansion, but… it just wasn’t the same for me.” 

 

“That’s a shame…” Blake said, shaking her head. “I never went to a park as a kid. Only when I was older. But it was my choice.”

 

Weiss tilted his head slightly in confusion. “How come?”

 

Blake sighed. 

 

“It’s… nothing really.” 

 

Weiss continued to stare expectantly.

 

Frowning slightly, she leaned back into the bench, looking up at the puffy cumulus clouds as she thought back to how things were before. 

 

“As a kid, I was right there with all the other faunus, protesting peacefully with the White Fang. Back before things… changed. As a kid, all I thought about was how unfair things were, and I wanted to do something about it. I didn’t care about letting myself run and play with the kids. Especially since most of them were human, and I always had the fear that humans would hate me. So I didn’t go.” 

 

Weiss’s eyebrows knitted together as Blake told her story, looking out towards the laughing children. 

 

“That’s… barely a choice. More like, societal pressure,” Weiss commented. 

 

“I could have went if I wanted. My parents wouldn’t have stopped me.”

 

“I could have snuck out of my mansion, or convinced a butler to take me. But I would’ve had to suffer consequences from my parents. Just like you would’ve had to suffer consequences from the ignorant people around you.”

 

Blake huffed. “I.. hadn’t actually thought about that. Yeah, I felt I had a responsibility towards my people, but at the same time I was a bit afraid to even try just once.” 

 

“It’s awful, really…” Weiss shook his head. “You didn’t deserve that. Now you wear that bow because... People can’t even bother to acknowledge your basic rights and just show any sort of respect. And I was…” Weiss paused, his hands tensing in frustration. 

 

“Weiss, you’re not like that-”

 

“How can you say that, after all of that… terrible stuff I said back then? I hadn’t targeted just the White Fang, I was talking about Faunus people in general. Grouping all of you into this box, like you were all violent and no-good. It was completely racist, and I was too dumb to even see that.” 

 

“It’s true that you were quite… judgmental… but when all of your experiences with Faunus had previously only been them attacking your family and making your life difficult, that sort of thing is kind of expected. It wasn’t completely blind hatred, like most people, you had some sort of reasoning behind your beliefs. You didn’t understand before but… you were at least willing to look past your own biases and be a good person. You accepted me, because you saw me as a  _ person _ , even when I exposed myself. That’s got to be worth something.”

 

Weiss wearily glanced over to Blake. “That may be true but… sometimes I can’t help but wonder why you bother to be around me so much. I still have… so much to learn, and I’m  _ still _ working on getting past all of these horrid things I’d been taught when I was younger. When I’m like this, still trying to get past my… my complete  _ ignorance _ , how can you still like me?”

 

“Twelve hours,” Blake started, causing Weiss to raise an eyebrow in confusion. “It took twelve hours for you to abandon that mindset, and be more accepting. Just for  _ me _ . Because you cared about me. Do you know, that there are hundreds of people out there who’ll never let go of their hatred for their entire lives? How many people I’ve tried so hard to get to be accepting who turned away, not caring to listen to some random faunus? Weiss… how could I not like you? You’re amazing.”

 

Weiss’s face flushed a little at that. “Th… thanks Blake. This was honestly eating at me for a while and… I’m glad that you’re willing to be my friend despite how rocky things were before…”

 

Blake stiffened a bit. “A-actually I…” She seemed to almost lose her breath as soon as she began speaking. Weiss’s gaze shifted to the nervous faunus, raising his brow in interest. Suddenly, Blake regretted speaking up. Was this too early? Should she have picked a better time to bother saying anything? Sighing, Blake decided that there was no use of holding it off any longer. “I’d like to be… more than friends, if you’re… okay with that.” 

 

The two sat silently, Weiss stunned and Blake nervous, yet hopeful. It took a few attempts, but eventually Weiss managed to say  _ something _ . 

 

“I… I’m sorry. I don’t… I can’t…” Weiss was panicking, nearly hyperventilating, and felt the intense need to remove himself from the situation. Not knowing what else to do, he quickly got up and ran away, leaving a distraught Blake alone on the bench.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well! That was something! I'll admit, I'm not exactly that great with writing confessions, but I tried my best. Sorry no art this time around, too busy with college atm and I didn't wanna keep you guys waiting with this chapter. Anywho, as per usual, constructive criticism is deeply appreciated, and I love to see your comments!


	6. Snap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As things escalate, Weiss's strings snap.

Weiss had never been so confused and afraid in her life. Of all things, she’d never expected Blake to confess to her today. She had immediately felt helpless, not knowing what to say or do about it, which lead to her bolting away. She didn’t dare look back, as she knew that she’d probably hurt the poor faunus. Right now, she couldn’t handle seeing the disappointment on Blake’s face. 

 

_ She doesn’t know. _

 

_ Should… should I tell her? _

 

_ Will she even like me anymore? _

 

Her mind was filled with her insecurities and anxiety, and it was welling up rapidly, causing her to struggle with breathing. There were too many questions. Too much doubt. She couldn’t take it.

 

When she eventually made it to Beacon, she’d rushed towards the library, ignoring all of the confused gazes of the students around her. The sooner she could be alone to think, the better. She was soon greeted with large oak doors and she panted as she quietly opened them and stepped in. She doubted Blake would follow her after what she’d done, so she silently made her way over to her usual corner. Immediately, she curled herself up on the floor beside the old bookshelf, not caring about the dust particles that would surely get on her immaculate white vest. As she attempted to get her breathing back to normal, she now focused on the troubling thoughts spiraling chaotically through her mind. 

 

_ How do I actually go about this? _

 

The problem she had wasn’t that she didn’t like Blake. In fact, she noticed that she’d begun to have feelings for the faunus not too long ago, but she’d decided that she wouldn’t pursue her. While she was away from her Father, she knew that he wouldn’t agree with their relationship, regardless of whether or not she was a faunus. She wasn’t rich, and there’d be no benefit to the company. She understood that her father would find her some person that he deemed to be fit and marry her off to them. 

 

Maybe she could get away with dating Blake somehow, but another problem was that she was very conflicted morally. 

 

She’d always been taught that being gay was wrong. Relationships were for men and women, so they could procreate, and anything else was unnatural and disgusting. While she personally didn’t have anything against homosexuals (as she’d failed to see what was wrong with it despite all that her Father told her), she knew that she wasn’t supposed to be one. When her Father explained it to her, she’d been told that she’d have a wife purely for the benefit of the company, and to avoid questions from the public. She was not to truly love this woman. He’d called it one of her many flaws, that as a woman she couldn’t truly fit the male role in a genuine relationship. But that wasn’t important. Appearances were key. 

 

Yet here she was. She had eyes for a woman, and she wasn’t rich, nor was she human. Said faunus also liked her back. In that moment, she wanted so badly to say ‘yes’ but she’d painfully pulled herself away instead, not knowing how to respond. Everything was so confusing. She wasn’t expected to love, but to fulfill her Father’s wishes. She wasn’t supposed to like a girl, as that would be gay, nor was she to like a guy, because that would  _ appear _ to be gay in the public’s eye. There was nobody for her. She wasn’t supposed to be worried about love. She was…

 

_ Tired.  _

 

She was tired of this. Tired of all of the pretending and trying to shape herself to be what her father wanted. Tired of being scared of letting loose for a single second. Tired of constantly checking her voice, her binder, her words, everything in fear of the world finding out who she was. Tired of feeling like a puppet every single day of her life, controlled by her father who was hundreds of miles away. All the time, she’d cast away her own feelings and desires for a man who only cared for his precious money. Why was she sitting here, denying herself just a smidgen of happiness, where he couldn’t even see her? She liked Blake, trusted her, and crazily enough, Blake liked her back. 

 

Here was a chance. 

 

She could go against her father. He was far, far away, and so long as she hid it, there shouldn’t be a problem. The thought made her nervous, yet filled her with excitement. Maybe this is what she needed. The step she needed to make to just... feel like her own person. 

 

She could try. 

 

Weiss uncurled herself and stood up. 

 

Wiping away tears she didn’t previously realize were there, she walked away from the dark, empty corner, past the old dusty books and the few people who were in the library. She hoped that Blake had gone to the room by now, as she was headed there right now. She was going to tell her. 

 

She was going to tell her that she liked her back. 

 

She was going to tell her about… herself. 

 

Her heart pounded as she could almost feel her mind trying to tug her back. The doubt pierced and yanked at her, making her feel numb. She felt herself slowing down. 

 

But she didn’t dare stop. 

 

It was insane how physical it all felt. She was tired, and her limbs felt as if they were actively working against her, like something was trying to control her and pull her back. She was scared. But she was not backing down. 

 

Before she knew it, she was in front of a familiar white door. She’d made it to the dorm room. Unlocking and opening the door, she stepped in, cautiously looking around. At first, it appeared to be empty, and her heart sank. But then, she saw that the blanket on Blake’s bed was not laying flat on the mattress. She’d bundled herself under the blanket. 

 

Weiss sighed, relieved to see that Blake had come to their room. Quietly closing the door, she walked up to Blake’s bed and sat on the edge of it, then poked the lump under the blanket. 

 

“Blake, can you come out from under there? I wanna talk.” 

 

The faunus hesitated for a moment before pulling away from the covers and sitting up. Her eyes were a bit red and watery. Immediately, Weiss felt immense regret crashing down upon her, and she frowned. 

 

“I’m... sorry that I ran off, Blake. I was just… a bit overwhelmed,” Weiss apologized. Blake shook her head. 

 

“No, no I understand. You just... Don’t see me that way, and-”

 

“I want to be with you, Blake.” 

 

Blake paused, gasping lightly. “But... but you-” 

 

“I know, I just ran off and that wasn’t okay. I just… didn’t know what to do at the time, because… well…” Weiss let out a breath to calm herself. “I didn’t know if you’d like me. The real me.”

 

“What… what do you mean?” 

 

At this point, she’d decided to stop masking her true voice, finally admitting her issue. “Blake, the truth is that… I-I’m not really a guy... I’m a girl,” she nearly whispered. Immediately, she’d felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, yet at the same time, she was overcome with anxiety. She’d exposed herself, and she could help but be a bit terrified of the outcome. Not to mention the number of rules she’d broken at that very moment was insane. She felt so conflicted, her feelings of freedom harshly clashing with her fear. 

 

Blake gaped at the heir… heiress? She was puzzled and relieved as well, as she realized that  _ that _ was the big secret all along, Weiss had finally told her what had been eating at her this whole entire time. She’d finally opened up. 

 

“S-so you’re… trans?” Blake asked. It was a fair assumption, though Weiss frowned as she shook her head. 

 

“N-no, not quite…” Blake looked even more confused, understandably. There was so much that she could say, and while she did want to eventually fully explain herself, right now, she was worried about one thing. “I-I’ll explain, but for right now, I just wanted to get that off my chest before attempting to start anything between us, s-so… if you don’t mind me being a female then I’d most certainly love to date you.”

 

Blake took a moment to process what she’d just been told. There were just so many questions she had and so little answers and explanations for them. But one thing she did know was that she was no less attracted to Weiss than she was before. She never really viewed herself as bisexual, but the thought of Weiss being a girl was still very, if not more appealing than her being a guy.

 

“It’s… certainly unexpected, but…” She started. Her lips then curled into a small smile. “I don’t mind it one bit.” 

 

Weiss sighed in relief before smiling wider than she had in years. Blake was the first person to ever tell her that they didn’t mind who Weiss was. Her heart swelled hearing that, and without thinking, she pulled Blake into her arms and pressed her lips against the other Blake’s own. Blake herself was surprised at the action but eventually leaned into the kiss herself, enjoying the sensation of Weiss’s tender lips, holding her as she did so. Eventually, she, unfortunately, had to pull away, and as she moved back her face was burning. She hadn’t exactly expected herself to do that, but that had to be one of the best things she’d ever experienced. 

 

“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered nervously, though the smile never left her face.

 

Blake opened her eyes and shook her head. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. We’re together now, aren’t we?”

 

Weiss visibly brightened at that, the smile on her face widening. They sat there holding each other for another minute before pulling away. Already, Weiss missed Blake’s touch but diverted her mind from that. There was a lot to be said, and it would be very, very difficult to talk about. 

 

“I… I suppose I should explain myself now,” she mumbled, swallowing in nervousness. 

 

Blake but a hand on Weiss’s shoulder, looking concerned. “If it’s hard to talk about and you don’t want to yet, then I completely understand.”

 

“No,” Weiss sighed, shaking her head. “If… I don’t get this out now, there’s no telling when I’ll be able to talk about it again.” 

 

Weiss took another calming breath. This would be the first time she’d ever talked about herself. She often tried her best to distance herself from her home life as much as possible, but there was no going around it. Despite trying to ignore it, she’s always affected by it, and her insecurities and even the clothes she wears are a constant reminder, forever looming over her. She still felt her father’s presence over her shoulders despite the ocean that distanced them, but it didn’t matter anymore. This was the biggest step she had ever taken for herself, and she was going to stick with it. She’d think about the consequences of it later. 

 

“Father had… always been disappointed in me. Disappointed that I just happened to be born in a way he didn’t like. He... wanted a son, and I couldn’t fulfill that. But…” Weiss sighed. She’d been trying to mentally plan what she was going to say, but it turned out to be too much, so she decided to let it all come out naturally. “He decided that he was going to have a son no matter what. So... from that moment on, I started learning how a boy should act. How... I should feel, dress, speak… I remember seeing women around me wearing gorgeous dresses whenever he’d take me to formal events and just wishing I could wear one and look pretty like them. But I’d be stuffed in this stiff, cold suit and given a tie that seemed to choke me, no matter how loose I tried to make it. My hair was incredibly long and flowy, and something I feel that I’d be proud of if it weren’t constantly chopped away. Any makeup on my face was to create the illusion of a more masculine face, and I just… never felt normal. Because no matter how much I tried to please Father, he’d always remind me that I wasn’t truly a boy and that I was only second rate, a last resort. I tried harder and harder but over the years I learned that it wouldn’t satisfy him… but I still tried.”

 

Throughout her explanation, she noticed Blake’s expression, which was absolutely disgusted. The faunus looked as if she were ready to kill someone, and had that glare been aimed at her, she’d be absolutely terrified. 

 

“That’s… That’s sick!” Blake practically growled. “Who does that to their own kid? He.. he can’t get away with this-”

 

Weiss’s heart sunk in fear. “B-blake-”   
  
“No, he can’t do that. That’s literally one of the most sexist, manipulative-”   
  
“Blake, wait-”   
  
_ “It’s borderline abuse-” _

 

“Stop!” Weiss yelled, finally causing the faunus to quickly shut her mouth. Weiss shook lightly with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “There’s nothing we can do, Blake. Nothing that won’t… tear us apart and put me in more danger or snatch away my legacy. Father just… isn’t very kind. But we can’t fight back.”

 

Blake calmed down with a frustrated sigh. “That… that’s just not fair…” she grumbled, glaring at the floor. 

 

“It’s just how it is Blake. Besides it… it’s not the worst. There are people a lot worse off than me, I still had money, a loving sister and butler, and now he’s allowed me to move far away from him.”

 

“I… guess you’re right,” Blake said, sighing in resignation. She truly was stuck in a hopeless situation. 

 

The two sat there for a while, thinking about the past hour, So much had happened and now here they were. But they were  _ together  _ now. Despite everything. Despite…   
  
“My father…” Weiss mumbled, catching the attention of Blake immediately. “I… I’m actively rebelling against him. He’d be… furious.”

 

“Does it feel nice?”

 

Weiss frowned. “Huh?”

 

“Rebelling. Doing what  _ you _ want. Living your life for a bit. Does it feel nice?”

 

Weiss blinked. Suddenly she realized that the usual thoughts and worries about her father that constantly rattled her mind were almost non-existent, despite talking about him. She could no longer feel his large, intimidating presence constantly over her shoulder, staring, judging. And the strings seemed to have been temporarily cut away. It was… freedom. The first breath of fresh air after choking and suffocating. It felt… “Absolutely amazing…” Weiss smiled for a bit at that.  She never knew things could be so good, however… “But Blake? I can’t go too far… My father… the public-”

 

“We’ll keep it a secret from the public. I may hate that you have to hide, but… I don’t want your legacy to get ruined, You really care about it,” Blake said, resting her hand on Weiss’s. “However… you should still allow yourself to be just a little freer,” she flicked her ears a few times, “As you convinced me to do.”

 

Weiss smiled a little. “I’ll… I’ll try.”

  
Blake gripped the slender, dainty hand that rested beneath her own. “ _ We’ll _ try. Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Hello everyone, I'm back! I'm so sorry this one took so long, and with no new art at that! My only explanation: College. Yep. It became too stressful to try to write and do college full time. So I had to take an unexpected and unannounced hiatus on this story. But now I'll be back for a bit. Yay!
> 
> I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit off. It was half-written when I got back to it and added more, so I had to try and remember my plan for this. I hope it worked out fine~


	7. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Weiss to take another step for herself.

One week. Blake and Weiss had been together for a single week and here they were, sitting and waiting together in their dorm room. Already Blake had convinced Weiss that she should tell the rest of their teammates the truth. All they knew at the moment was that Blake and Weiss were dating, to which they showed their full support and excitement. Things had been going well until now, where Blake talked her into sitting down and having a conversation with the sisters. She’d need to admit it to them.

 

It felt too fast, but then again, that was her own fault.

 

The new couple had been doing great and Weiss couldn’t remember a time where she felt better. That’s not to say they didn’t have their complications. There was a very limited amount of things they could do. Every second they were out of that room, they couldn’t show any romantic affection towards one another. It was yet another thing they had to hide from public eyes. Another price to pay for not being perfect. As for inside the Dorm, Yang and Ruby respected that they were keeping their relationship private, though they didn’t understand the purpose of doing that. However, the last thing they wanted to do was constantly lock lips in front of the sisters. So that simply left the few hours they could find alone every once in a while where they could truly be themselves. 

 

One of those moments had come up and the two were cuddled together on Blake’s bunk, enjoying one another’s company and talking about whatever came up. However, it wasn’t Weiss’s intention to let this particular issue become known.

 

It started with a wince. 

 

“What’s the matter?” Blake had asked, a bit concerned. Weiss frowned and shifted a bit. 

 

“I’m fine Blake, don’t wor-” a spike of pain interrupted the heiress, and she curled in on herself. Blake’s concern only worsened. 

 

“You’re not fine Weiss. Tell me what’s wrong.”

 

Weiss shook her head, remaining silent and still Blake sighed and laid her hand gently on the smaller girl’s shoulder. She made the mistake of turning her head to look at the worried faunus’ face. Sighing, she relented. 

 

“My chest…” She croaked out. It hurting a bit to breathe at that point. “It’s just… aching.” 

 

Blake frowned. “Why would…” she trailed off. “Wait… you bind your chest, don’t you?”

 

Weiss nodded slowly, not exactly wanting to admit it. She knew Blake wouldn’t approve it. She was very sure that at this point, the binder was probably a bit too small, and she wore it for much, much longer durations than she should. 

 

“How much?”

 

Weiss swallowed.

 

“I, um...  I only take it off before I sleep.” She admitted. Just as suspected, Blake wasn’t a fan. 

 

In fact, she looked startled and immediately began to worry. “Weiss, You do realize that that’s not okay, right? You’re practically destroying your ribcage!”

 

“I know that it’s not exactly the best thing to do. Klein tried to warn me of that while I was growing up. The problem was, father expected me to wear it all the time. He didn’t want to see me looking feminine in any sort of way, not even around the house. So, at this point, I’ve grown used to wearing it for the entire day before going to bed.” Weiss explained. 

 

“Weiss, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. That… that monster was making you destroy your body! You should only wear it when necessary, not while you’re just sitting in the dorm.”

 

“But… Ruby and Yang…”

 

Blake sighed. “Weiss… I don’t want to force anything on you. I know it’s difficult to open up but… you can’t keep hurting yourself like this.” Blake looked into Weiss’s eyes and saw the dread on her face as the next words came out of her mouth. “Weiss. You need to tell them.”

 

“N-no I can’t… I don’t-“

 

“Your health is on the line,” Blake interrupted rather abruptly. As Weiss flinched in response, she allowed herself a deep, calming breath. The last thing she wanted was to scare her, no matter how urgent the matter was. “Weiss, I really care about you. So do Yang and Ruby, and I can just about guarantee that they won’t mind who you really are. I know it’s scary and hard, but  _ please _ take care of yourself, you can’t keep binding so much if it’s going to hurt you like this.” She pleaded, firmly grasping her girlfriend’s hand in her own as Weiss tried not to meet her worried eyes. 

 

Weiss sat quietly for a moment. As much as she wanted to continue arguing on the matter, in the end, Blake was right. She was hurting. There was probably permanent damage, especially since she’d been doing it for so long. In the end, Blake was just looking out for her safety. She sighed, nodding her head in reluctant agreement. 

 

“Can’t believe I’m being lectured by you of all people for this…” she joked with a weak chuckle. The smile didn’t manage to reach her eyes. “Fine, I’ll… I’ll tell them.” 

 

Blake immediately looked relieved. “Good,” she said, allowing herself to calm back down. At least before she thought of something. “You… should probably take it off right now. After all, you’re hurting.”

 

Weiss flinched a bit. “O-oh… right…” she mumbled, sitting up. Blake grabbed a nearby book, covering her sight with it to let Weiss have her privacy. Weiss pulled off the tight binder and let in a few deep breaths before putting her shirt back on. “I’m finished,” she mumbled, allowing Blake to put the book away. 

 

Glancing at Weiss, she immediately noticed the subtle curves that the binder had hidden, and couldn’t help but just stare for a while. Weiss was… absolutely beautiful. Her frame was small, yet not at all delicate. Whereas before, all that could be seen were the indications of muscles, likely gained from years of training, Blake now saw all the things she’d put the effort into hiding all this time. However, her muscles weren’t enough to mask her sleek feminine build, with soft curves and it was amazing. Unfortunately, in what seemed like a moment of panic, Weiss put her bulky vest on, hiding most of that once more. One would have to look more closely to spot the small indications of her feminine body now. 

 

Weiss was already anxious. She felt so… exposed. Vulnerable. It almost felt as though her father would walk right through that door and in an instant, her world would go black. She could almost see the enraged snarl on his face, the shaky fist he’d make, the pure disappointment that seeped off of him. Just imagining it made her feel like dirt. As if some unseen puppeteer had taken control, she found her arms covering herself, as though she were being exposed to the world and stripped of all clothing. It had to be noticeable. They weren’t that big, but they were  _ there _ . At the very least, it was  _ not _ manly.

 

Blake noticed this and put a hand on Weiss’s shoulder. When Weiss looked at her, she realized that this wasn’t as bad as she’d been taught it was. This was freedom. The only one here was Blake. Her eyes trailed up to those fluffy cat ears poking out from the dark tresses on her head. Those exposed ears were proof that she’d be okay. Blake trusted them. Weiss trusts them. 

 

It was another step toward freedom. 

 

However, even that thought sent a pang of anxiety through her. Just how far was this going to go? How many steps towards freedom would she take before she fell from the edge and lost everything she’s worked so hard to keep all of these years? When would she make a mistake and let the world know that Weiss Schnee was not a man, but a coward, a liar, and a  _ woman _ ? All of the respect she had for simply having that name instantly shattered. For a moment of happiness. For being able to breathe a little. She honestly could not decide whether or not it was worth it. She didn’t know what she was doing, or what she  _ will _ do. 

 

This was not safe. 

 

“You’re going to be okay,” Blake interrupted her thoughts that were starting to become concerningly negative. “I’ll make sure of it.”

 

Weiss took a breath. 

 

It was just one more step. 

 

She could do this. 

 

_ Click! _

 

And just like that, any sort of forced confidence drained out of her at the sound of the door unlocking. She gripped the sheets on the bed as tightly as she could, as she was afraid the very second she let go of them, she’d bolt for the door. 

 

“Hey, you two! Any reason ya lovebirds called us over? It seemed important,” Yang asked as she and Ruby entered the dorm. 

 

“Yeah, we needed to have a talk. As a team.” Blake said as the sisters took a seat, glancing curiously at the couple. 

 

“Oh, a team meeting! You didn’t say we were having that, I woulda came over quicker and prepared-”

 

“It’s fine Ruby, we’re all here now,” Blake said, calming the scythe-wielder down. “We just need to have a little talk.”

 

“Is it about Weiss?” Yang chimed, glancing at the heir, who already was losing her cool. 

 

Blake sighed, rubbing Weiss’ back in an attempt to comfort her. “Yeah, it is. He has… something important to talk about.”

 

“Alrighty then. We’re listening, Weiss.” Ruby said, visibly interested in what Weiss had to say as she sat down.

 

Weiss didn’t meet anyone’s gaze.  

 

“I don’t… I...” she choked out in her practiced voice. “I don’t think I can do this after all, Blake…” 

 

“Weiss…”

 

“No… It was one thing talking to you but… This is a lot for me and I’m just too...”

 

_ Scared. _

 

Weiss went to get up and leave, highly disappointed in herself. Frustrated that this was all happening again. Cursing herself for once again being such a foolish, weak woman. 

 

“Weiss nooo!” Ruby whined from the bed, and Blake was getting ready to follow her, but what stopped her was a firm hand on her shoulder.

 

Looking back, she stared into Yang’s stern, yet caring eyes. 

 

“Hey, I know that whatever you’ve gotta share is really big for you. You probably feel like it’s  _ too _ big for you to possibly handle.” Yang started, not letting go. “But we all care. We all want you to be okay Weiss. So… whatever this is that’s holding you down, let us help you carry that burden. That’s what we’re here for. As a team.. and as  _ friends _ .”

 

Anxious blue eyes stared into persistent violet, and after a moment of absolute silence, there was a huff of resignation. Yang guided Weiss away from the door and they were back where they started. 

 

There was no more running. She’d done that enough times by now. 

 

“Well, I guess there’s no real easy way to say it, so… I’ll just be frank. I’m… not actually a man. I was born female…”

 

And just like that, it was done. Like the first time, there was both relief and anxiety, though this time the anxiety was even worse. She and Blake at least had something in common but there was no telling with Ruby and Yang. 

 

Speaking of the half-sisters, judging by their expressions, it didn’t exactly seem as though they were expecting such a revelation.

 

Ruby’s face was twisted in confusion. “So wait, are you like those people who were uh… born in the wrong body or something?” she asked innocently. 

 

“N-no, I’m not transgender… I just have to present this way…”

 

Now, Yang’s expression changed from surprise to confusion. “Wait, wait, I don’t get it… if you aren’t trans, then why do you have to present as a male?”

 

“Well… to put it simply… my father wanted a son. Since he never got one naturally, he just… put that role onto me. I have to be his son because he wants an heir, not an heiress.”

 

Ruby’s expression fell, but Yang…

 

Yang’s eyes were blood red. 

 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. He didn’t.”

 

Weiss only nodded. 

 

“I… I can’t even imagine how someone could be so sick, to do that to their own child!” Yang fumed, the air around her growing warmer. 

 

“I’ll fucking-”

 

“Do nothing.”

 

Yang’s eyes lost their red hue for a moment as she was surprised by the interruption.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean exactly as I said, Yang,” Weiss said, standing up and coming close to the sisters. “Both of you have to swear to take no action. My entire future is hanging on this. I have played this role for my entire life so that I can inherit this company, and I’m already putting all of it at risk by telling you all of this…” Her voice wavered, and she could no longer keep up her practiced voice. “If this gets out it will be for nothing. My reputation, my money, my career, my  _ life _ will all crumble down to nothing. So please say nothing…” 

 

From the moment her tone became panicked, Yang had calmed down, as her concern overwhelmed her anger. Both siblings hated the sound of all this but in the end, they agreed to keep things a secret. 

 

“So… when you say 'say nothing to nobody'...”

 

“Not team JNPR either, Ruby.” 

 

Ruby sighed and reluctantly agreed. 

 

“So should we use she/her pronouns?” Yang asked. 

 

“I mean, you technically could but… I don’t want to risk you getting mixed up in public. I could imagine it’d be difficult to go back and forth all the time.”

 

Yang shook her head. “You deserve to feel comfortable, even if it’s just in this dorm room. I’ll use the correct pronouns in this room. I promise I won’t screw it up.” She insisted. 

 

Weiss didn’t expect such an adamant response from the brawler but was honestly very appreciative of her dedication. It really meant so much to her, knowing she cared that much.

 

“Thanks, Yang... and you too, Ruby. All of you, really.” Weiss said, sitting back down. “I didn’t think I’d be able to say anything. I’m… really glad you all care.” 

 

“Of course, Weiss! We’ve always got your back!” Ruby chimed, wrapping Weiss in a hug.

 

As Weiss tried to awkwardly return the hug, Yang called out, “Group hug!”

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms were around her as well. 

 

Seeing Weiss frozen in a confused daze, unsure of how to proceed, Blake rolled her eyes with a smirk and joined the trio. The hug was haphazard, and she didn’t know what to do. And it was probably the best thing Weiss had experienced in a very long time. It was warm. It was soft. 

 

It was home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! It's been a while. College does that to ya. The art at the bottom isn't the most relevant, but I had the idea after finishing the part where Blake was looking at Weiss without a binder. Of course, the picture up there is of Weiss with a binder, but that's because somewhere in the middle of drawing it, I decided I'd add it on. I like to imagine that Blake starts drooling when Weiss's body is exposed, and probably gets even more blushy without the binder.


	8. Ignored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss does even more to go against her father's wishes.

For the first time, Weiss had gotten an adequate amount of sleep. After confessing to her entire team, she’d allowed herself to fall asleep in Blake’s arms that night, indulging in the most comfortable, satisfying sleep she’d had in her entire life. No large, cold bed and no late nights and early mornings. It was something she never thought she’d have the luxury of experiencing. 

 

However, despite this feeling like a significantly longer sleep, she’d woken up before the rest of team RWBY as she normally did. Glancing through the window, she saw a dark sky, signifying that she’d woken up before dawn once more. It felt almost the same… but different.  _ Better.  _

 

With a light yawn, she slipped out of Blake’s arms, immediately missing their touch as they were replaced by the bite of the cold morning air. Never before did she so desperately want to lay back down and disregard her morning routine as she did at this moment. 

 

Carefully, she stood up and walked over to the haphazard mess Ruby called a ‘bunk bed’ and reached underneath her own bunk for a box. After grabbing it she quietly walked into the restroom, not aware of the sleepy amber eyes trailing her from the bed. 

 

Walking into the bathroom, Weiss started her usual morning routine. Warm drops of water fell across her smooth skin as she lathered soap across her body, calming her as they gently pelted her. After getting settled, she began to sing in her natural voice, her voice reaching octaves that would make her father have a heart attack. This was all she had. She couldn’t find it in her to completely abandon singing, so her only other option was to let her voice shine amidst the patter of water on tile before anybody else could wake up and hear. 

 

Showers were the best part of Weiss’s day. It was the only place she could be comfortable in her own skin, no appearances to uphold, nobody to please. Her anxieties seemed to melt and disappear with the steaming water down the drain, giving her a small chunk of the day to have a true break. 

 

Alas, the shower ended and Weiss stepped out to immediately see a mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, and she could see her true self. A small girl with straight shimmering hair, wide blue eyes and a soft, feminine face. 

 

That’s the moment she’s suddenly faced with the worst part of her day.

 

Patting her skin dry, she looks down at the fabric that was meant to conceal what little breasts she had. Her binder. The one she’d had for far too long and hurt herself far too much with. After slipping it on, she glanced back up at the mirror. Staring back at her was a flat chested man with medium length hair and a baby face. The uncomfortable middle area. She could see all of the traits she’d brought upon herself, most notably her muscles that were as prominent as Yang’s. Except, with a binder, she didn’t look like a buff fighter girl, but a man.

 

Sighing, she brought out her makeup kit. 

 

Carefully, she applied the liquids and powders to her face. She wasn’t allowed to accentuate the features she wanted to, but instead she fabricated masculine traits in her face. Working to make her jaw appear more square and her face not look as soft and round. She could remember Klein’s pained face as he taught her where to put the shades and highlights and how to properly pull off a natural masculine face. 

 

He hated this almost as much as Weiss did. As she brushed and added finishing touches to her face, she thought about all the times he apologized for what he was doing and teaching her, and the times he’d risk his job just to make her happy.

 

_ “Klein? H… how do girls do their makeup” A young Weiss asked, glancing nervously at her balding butler, who paused at that question. He’d had Weiss sit down as he gathered the makeup she’d been using for years to conceal her feminine face that didn’t quite match her physique.  _

 

_ “Oh Weiss… normally I’d be more cautious, but your father is out for the day… as well as your mother... so I suppose I can show you what I know!” He said, the bitterness in his voice turning to excitement at the end of his sentence. The moustached man smiled as a spark of glee ran across Weiss’s face and he immediately got to work _

 

_ “So, the main difference in feminine makeup and masculine makeup is the contours. You want  to highlight here-” _

 

“Weiss?”

 

Flinching, Weiss looked over to see Blake at the door, staring in concern. 

 

“B-Blake?” she managed to stutter in surprise. “What are you doing in here?”

 

“I knocked, but you didn’t answer. I was about to walk away but I heard sniffling, so I came in anyway. Plus, you didn’t lock the door.” 

 

It was then that Weiss looked back at her reflection to see tears streaking down her face, ruining her makeup, and her hand tightly clutching her makeup blender. Surprisingly, she had been following the feminine contours as she remembered Klein showing her a couple years ago. It was abnormal for her to slip up like that. 

 

“Oh…” she mumbled, weakening her grip and wiping her face, ridding it of both the tears and makeup.

 

Blake walked up to her and took note of the supplies by the mirror. 

 

“I didn’t know you used makeup?”

 

Sighing, Weiss started to work on her foundation. “It makes my face look more square and manly. I remember when I used to dream of wearing makeup,” She mumbled, working near her cheekbones and jaw. “But not like this.” 

 

“You shouldn’t have to do that.”

 

“But unfortunately, I do. Even if it is unfair.”

 

Blake frowned. “Not in this room.”

 

Weiss paused. 

 

“I’ll need to leave at some point today, Blake.”

 

“Not for very soon though. There’s no class today, and it’ll be awhile before we do more training for the Vytal Festival,” Blake pressed. 

 

Weiss looked down at her binder and sighed. It along with the makeup wouldn’t technically be necessary until later that afternoon, just as Blake said. Still, it felt weird and wrong to prioritize her comfort over her appearances. One more person finding out could be the thing that ruined her entire future, and though the chances of anyone else somehow seeing her as she hid herself in the dorm were very slim, it was still technically a possible. She could be the insanely unlucky person to have everything ruined in a matter of seconds. She shouldn’t do this. 

 

But just as she convinced herself that it was a bad idea to let herself cut lose even more, she made the mistake of gazing into concerned amber eyes and immediately, she wavered. Blake really wanted her to be happy and comfortable… maybe she could be free for just a few hours. The bathroom was right there, she could put on appearances later. 

 

Once again, she found herself doing her makeup the way Klein showed her how, her binder cast aside, laying forgotten on the bathroom floor. With a warm smile, Blake was there behind her, brushing her medium length hair. After pondering for a bit, Blake walked away temporarily, leaving Weiss to wonder what she planned to do. When her girlfriend returned, she had her silky black bow in her hand, which she tied into her hair after making a much girlier ponytail than the heiress usually wore. When Blake pulled back and Weiss applied the last few dabs of makeup onto her face, they both looked into the mirror. 

 

For the first time in her life, Weiss could see  _ herself _ in the mirror. 

 

She’d surprisingly applied her eyeliner very well, considering the fact that it was something her father forbade her to ever use. Klein had been responsible for her owning it, and in this moment as she was frozen in place, awestruck at her reflection, she couldn’t be more grateful. 

 

Weiss could no longer pay attention to the part of her that instinctually screamed at her that this was very, very wrong and dangerous, that she should scrub her face and snatch that binder off of the floor immediately. No, now she was admiring this beautiful…  _ lady _ in the mirror. Somehow, her muscles didn’t feel quite as bulky, and her curves didn’t fill her with anxiety. This was right. 

 

This was her. 

 

“You’re so beautiful, you know that?”

 

Weiss then remembered that her quiet girlfriend was right there with her. Looking at Blake, her heart melted as she was met with a warm smile from the faunus. Her face reddened at the comment, and she gave a sheepish smile.

 

“You… really think so?”

 

Blake leaned forward, pecking the girl on the lips briefly, before answering. “Most definitely.”

 

Weiss, overwhelmed by emotions, just smiled wider and hugged Blake, trying not to start crying again. She’d failed and happy tears quickly welled up before rolling down her face, ruining her makeup. As they pulled from the long hug, Weiss sniffled with a small smile. 

 

“I know, I’m ruining my makeup. Sorry,” she said tearfully, once again trying to avoid crying more. Blake shook her head dismissively, just happy to see Weiss so full of joy. It wasn’t something she got to see very often, after all. 

As her eyes were pulled back to the mirror, Weiss realized that this was a very simple thing that she’d been denied her entire life, and it would be gone only a few hours later. Never before had a realization filled her heart with so much pain. Her attempt to hold off her tears had failed once again. It would hurt to put that binder on again. To wipe off all the pretty makeup, even if it was ruined now. To mask her voice from the world. 

 

“I feel so free but… still trapped. It… it has to go away…” 

 

Blake’s soft smile fell into a sad frown. 

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

Silently, Weiss grabbed her makeup remover towelette, not even bothering to relish in the feeling of being herself for any longer. It didn’t matter in the end. Blake sighed, watching the heiress redo her makeup and hair, replace her binder, and slip her masculine clothes on. 

 

Standing up once she was done, she was about to go back into the dorm before she was stropped by the grip of her raven haired girlfriend. Looking up at Blake, she got stuck in the girl’s concerned eyes as she was pulled closer. 

 

“Just so you know, no matter what you show to the world, you’re still always my beautiful girl,” Blake informed, before pressing a chaste kiss to the other girl’s lips. “Nothing will change that.”

With a final peck of a deep red cheek, Blake left the bathroom. The flushed girl stared at the door for a moment before a small smile broke out on her face. Suddenly, things didn’t seem quite as terrible, for just a moment. 

 

...

 

The warm, familiar scent of over-sweetened coffee and baked goods greeted Weiss as she opened the door to a familiar cafe. Smiling, she and her girlfriend ordered their usuals, Blake’s earl grey and Weiss’s black coffee, before sitting on one of the rather comfy couches near the back. The 1920’s themed cafe lined with brick and chandeliers along with the soft vintage music playing in the background brought comfort to the couple as they got settled.

 

Weiss pulled out her notebook and began to sketch for the first time in weeks. She no longer had the crippling anxiety keeping her from doing the things she loved, and she took complete advantage of her heightened mood to be productive. 

 

There was no better character to get back into drawing than her favorite, Snow. 

 

Once again, she’d drawn Snow singing with such a cheerful expression on her face. This time, Snow was crouched near a black cat who seemed to enjoy the singing from the fictional character. Blake was resting against Weiss as she watched her draw, occasionally taking a sip from her drink. There was a comfortable silence between the two. 

 

At least until…

 

“Do you sing, Weiss?” 

 

Weiss blinked. “Why do you ask?”

 

Blake smirked slightly. “I just can’t help but notice that it looks an awful lot like you base Snow off of yourself, and you always draw her singing.” 

 

The heiress’ face reddened slightly. “Ah… guess you caught on, huh?”

 

Chuckling lightly, Blake nodded. “Well?” 

 

Weiss sighed. “I… used to.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Father forbade it,” Weiss answered. “ Because I cannot sing properly in my fake voice.” 

 

“...Oh.”

 

Looking down at her sketch, Weiss added a few more strokes. “It’s why I began drawing. It didn’t require being a certain gender.”

 

The silence had returned for a moment, though this time nowhere near as comfortable. Blake hated hearing all of the ways her father controlled the poor girl, and hated not being able to do much about it even more. 

 

Eventually they began doing what they normally did, discussing their characters and stories, looking at one another’s creations and giving feedback, and sipping their warm beverages. It was comforting for them, and they’d both missed doing it. They enjoyed themselves and the bit of freedom they did to discuss and do the things they loved with the person they loved. 

 

But life wasn’t too forgiving.

 

In the midst of their discussions, Weiss’s scroll buzzed. She’d hoped it would be their energetic team leader or her brawler sister, but just as she’d feared, her father’s name was displayed on the screen, along with the icon of his cold, harsh gaze. Blake cast a disgusted glance at the offending image. 

 

“Do you have to answer that monster?”

 

Weiss frowned as it continued to buzz. She probably should, but…

 

Pressing ignore, she firmly pushed it into her pocket. She wouldn’t let him ruin this day for her. Not this time. 

 

“Not at all. He’ll live having to wait a while longer.”

 

Most likely, he would be irritated and demand an explanation. However, that wasn’t much of a problem considering that he was far away. Chances were, he’d get over his hissy fit and give her a warning. It was well worth not having to talk to him, even if that would be temporary. 

 

She enjoyed her coffee with her girlfriend, the smiles soon returning on their faces as as they found more to talk about. 

 

…

 

Walking up to the tall CCT tower in Vale shouldn’t have filled Weiss with the anxiety that hit her as she approached, but just the thought of having to carefully lie and smile so her father wouldn’t have his nose in her plans and life always made her feel that way. Luckily her partner, Ruby Rose, was too energetic and happy to have her focus on it too much. 

 

“Wooow!” Ruby exclaimed behind her. “I forget how big the transmit tower looks up close!” The girl was staring up at the tall building in awe. She wished she could feel the enthusiasm her partner had right about now. 

 

“That’s nothing, you should see the one in Atlas!” she replied, maintaining that faux pride for her kingdom that just about every Atlesian had. 

 

“That was the first one, right?” Ruby inquired, thankfully remembering even the small things they’d learned at their time in Beacon. It showed that the study sessions actually paid off. 

 

“Correct. Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit System to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War,” She recited, feeling inclined to remind the girl despite it being rather basic knowledge. 

 

However, Ruby felt it appropriate to mock her for her spiel of knowledge. “Oooh look at me! My name’s Weiss! I know facts! I’m rich!” she mocked, pretending to be high and mighty before snickering into her hands as a poor attempt to hide the giggles. 

 

It was hard to be angry at the girl as she wasn’t malicious about it and her giggles were almost sickeningly adorable. Weiss still huffed, reminding her that the only reason they went up to the tower was because Ruby wanted to see it, as a phone call in the library would’ve likely been more convenient. 

 

However…

 

It did give her an excuse to prolong this call. It was the only reason she was willing to walk Ruby all the way out here. She probably wouldn’t have to talk to her father, but there was a chance he’d try to contact her soon after. She just hoped he wouldn’t notice anything. 

 

“Hey Weiss? You okay?”

 

Oh, great. She was being transparent as glass once more. All it served to do was fill her with more anxiety. If she couldn’t hide it from someone like Ruby, who was to say that she wouldn’t screw up one day and out herself? After all, she had no friends growing up, and most of her time was spent in the mansion, away from everyone, never able to truly socially interact. She was quickly learning that things would be harder than before, and these little reminders weren’t helping her mental state whatsoever. 

 

“It’s fine, Ruby,” Weiss muttered, starting to walk faster, Ruby was about to interject before she accidentally dropped her scroll. This leads the leader to have to deal with Penny, who happened to conveniently be nearby to pick up the scroll. A short conversation later and all of a sudden, Penny ran off. Ruby was ready to give chase, but not before giving Weiss a worried look. Sighing, the heiress waved the other girl off before being surrounded by crimson petals as she ran off. 

 

Great. Now she was alone. 

 

It wasn’t the worst. Weiss could practice her smile beforehand, at least. 

 

Not like she hadn’t had to do that her whole life anyway. 

 

Soon she’d made it to the cubical-like computer and started the call after letting out a sigh. 

 

“Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh! Mister Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well.” 

 

Shivering at the thought of the anxiety of having to talk to either of them, she shook her head. 

 

“No, thank you! I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I’ve compiled a short list.”

 

Connecting her scroll to the computer she watches as the operator’s face grows weary. She knew that’d happen. 

 

“I see. If you don’t mind… what may I ask is this for?”

 

“School project,” She lied. 

 

“Um, there are some sensitive documents on this list, sir.”

 

Why must people insist on bringing out the gendered terms? If people didn’t use them, she wouldn’t have to feel these pangs of dread and disappointment every time someone directed them at her. However, her plastered smile never faltered. Just as she practiced. 

 

“Well, then, I’ll be sure to treat them with care.”

 

“Right… very well.” She swallowed, complying hesitantly. “The data is being transferred to your scroll now.”

 

“Wonderful! That will be all then!” She said, smile widening in relief that she’d be able to exit the call very soon. 

 

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to patch you through to your father before you go?” The operator asked, unknowingly filling the heiress with dread. 

 

“Yes, I’m sure.” She said, catching her smile slip. 

 

“Well then… have a nice day!”

 

And like that, it was over. No way she’d be able to ‘have a nice day’ after that conversation. 

 

But it didn’t matter. She got the information she needed to help. More hope that she could ease the troubled faunus that wanted to be too strong for her own good, pulling the team together  to get behind this huge mess that was bigger than any of them.

 

It was worth it. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, but here I am, back from the dead. I've even got some mediocre art along with it!  
> (I could've done much better but man I wasn't feeling it for some reason. Hopefully the next art will be much better quality)  
> Oh man, hoping Weiss's actions won't come back to bite her  
> (It might)
> 
> Comments and criticism appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I don't write often, and it's my first RWBY fanfic, so I hope I didn't do too bad. I really tried my best. The art at the end is how I envision Weiss to be in this AU. And yes, it's by me, I tried but It's kinda trash, I hope it's not too bad ^^; 
> 
> Any criticism is appreciated-


End file.
